


This Feels Like Falling in Love

by awriterofthings



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 01:58:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 71,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13424289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterofthings/pseuds/awriterofthings
Summary: Clarke is a stressed out med student who is dealing with a lot in her personal life, which has left her a shell of the person she used to be, but when she meets Lexa that all begins to change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

              Clarke was sitting in the living room of her shared apartment with her best friend, Raven, when there was a knock at the door. She kept her eyes trained on her textbook and the knock came again. Seconds later, Raven exited her room and shot a glare at Clarke. “It’s cool. I’ll get it. You just sit there.”

              “Sorry,” Clarke muttered as she copied notes down from her textbook. “I’m trying to study.”

              “But you have two working legs,” Raven pointed out as she made her way to the door.

              Clarke finally looked up to fix Raven with a look of disbelief. “You can’t use your leg as an excuse whenever you don’t want to do something.”

              “Of course I can,” Raven said as she opened the front door. She saw their other best friend, Octavia at the door and smiled. “Tell Clarke I can use my leg as an excuse to not do things.”

              Octavia chuckled as she entered the apartment. “As long as you don’t use it as an excuse to bail on me tonight.”

              “No way, I’m totally up for a party,” Raven assured her. “You should be talking to that one,” she gestured to Clarke.             

              Octavia moved to sit beside the blonde. “Hey, you’re still joining us tonight, right?”

              Clarke sighed. “I don’t know. I have all this work to do. I haven’t even made a dent in it.”

              “Clarke,” Octavia whined. “You said you would come to the party. I want you to meet my new friends so we can all start hanging out together. Everyone has met them but you. They’re really great. You’ll like them.” Octavia had been dating her boyfriend, Lincoln, for two months now and his friends had quickly taken a liking to her. Clarke opened her mouth to reply but Octavia quickly added, “You still have a few hours before it starts. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

              “Don’t make us have to resort to hiding your textbooks again,” Raven added. “It’s Saturday. Enjoy it.”

              “Okay, okay,” Clarke caved. “You’re right. I’ll go.”

              Octavia smiled, happily. “You won’t regret it. Lincoln’s friends are so much fun.” Octavia got up from the couch. “We’ll leave you to your studying.”

              “We will?” Raven asked.

              Octavia nodded. “Come join me for a coffee. I’m paying.”  
              Raven grinned. “My favorite words,” she said before bidding Clarke farewell and leaving the apartment with Octavia.

              Once they were out of the apartment, Octavia looked over at the other brunette. “How’s Clarke been doing? I haven’t seen much of her lately.”

              “Neither have I and I live with her,” Raven said. “This year has been really rough on her. She could use a break.”

              “That’s part of the reason I want her to come out with us tonight,” Octavia said. “I want her to start enjoying life again.”

              “Here’s hoping tonight’s a start.”

 

 

 

              Clarke entered Lincoln’s apartment with her friends and look around at how packed it already was. She felt Octavia grip her hand and guide her through the apartment with Raven until they reached the other side of the apartment where Lincoln was talking with a few people.

              “Hey, guys!” Octavia greeted them, cheerily. She kissed Lincoln on the cheek. “Want to do introductions?”

              Lincoln smiled and nodded a greeting at Raven and Clarke before looking at his friends. “Lexa, Anya—this is Clarke and you’ve met Raven before. Clarke—this is Lexa and Anya.”

              “Nice to finally meet you,” Anya said. “Octavia talks about you all the time.”

              “Yeah,” Lexa agreed. “Something tells me it’ll pay to have a future doctor in our inner circle.”

              Clarke was stunned by how gorgeous she found Lexa. The tall brunette had beautiful green eyes and just looked like someone she would see in a magazine or on a runway. When Clarke remembered that she should probably be saying something, Octavia spoke up instead.

              “Lexa and Anya own Grounders.” Grounders was a very popular gym and dojo that Octavia had started working at a few months ago. It was where she met Lincoln.

              “That’s pretty awesome,” Clarke said, impressed. “I’ve been meaning to check it out at least once but I’m not big on the whole moving thing.” Lexa laughed lightly and Clarke hoped her swooning wasn’t visible.  

              “Yeah, Clarke doesn’t enjoy exercise,” Raven stated.

              Lexa smirked. “Well we make it fun,” she assured Clarke. “You should check it out. You might find that you enjoy it.”

              “I’ll try to talk her into it,” Octavia said, knowing there was no way Clarke would willingly go to Grounders.

              Would any of you care for a drink?” Anya asked.

              Before Clarke could open her mouth to decline, Octavia was speaking for her. “We’d love a drink. Something strong.”

              “Jasper and Monty have a concoction going in the kitchen that they swear will knock us on our asses,” Anya said. “I’m almost afraid to try it.”

              “Sounds like my kind of drink,” Raven said.

              “We’ll be right back,” Anya said before walking away with Lexa.

              Clarke admired Lexa as she left. She still wasn’t interested in being at the party but at least now she had a reason to enjoy it.

 

 

 

              Two hours had gone by and Clarke was sitting on the couch in the living room while her friends enjoyed themselves. Raven was playing beer pong with Anya while Lincoln and Octavia were in one corner of the apartment telling a very animated story to a group of Lincoln’s friends. She hadn’t spoken to Lexa much before the brunette had been pulled away from their conversation by one of her friends. Clarke began to think of her studies and what she could be doing with her time instead of nursing a drink and sitting alone on the couch. Deciding to get some air, Clarke got up and made her way to the balcony. Once outside, she took a deep breath and rested her arms on the railing.

              Clarke wasn’t outside long before she heard the backdoor slide open. She figured it was Raven or Octavia and smiled when she felt a jacket being placed over her shoulders but when she turned her head to see who was standing beside her, she was surprised to see Lexa now mirroring her position and looking out at the view.

              “You can’t be out here because of the nice view of cars and… more cars,” Lexa said, amused.

              A slight smile pulled at Clarke’s lips. “Well if you look up the view is a lot nicer.”

              Lexa looked up at the sky for a few seconds before looking at Clarke. “Are you interested in seeing a constellation, Clarke?”

              Hearing Lexa say her name was like a gentle caress and it caught Clarke off guard. “Um,” she got her thoughts together and looked up at the sky. “Are you talking about the Cassiopeia?”

              Lexa smiled, looking impressed by Clarke’s knowledge of the sky. “I was.”

              Clarke returned the smile. “My father taught me all about them when I was a kid.”

              “Okay, sky girl,” Lexa said. “Do you see the other constellation beside Cassiopeia?”

              “Perseus? Yes.”

              “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised,” Lexa replied. “Octavia did say you know everything.”

              “That’s a huge exaggeration,” Clarke replied. She pulled the jacket over her shoulders more. “Thank you for the jacket.”

              “It’s chilly out tonight,” Lexa said. “Wouldn’t want you freezing while avoiding human interaction.”

              Clarke felt guilty. “Sorry, I’m usually better than this. I just haven’t been in the mood for parties lately.”

              Lexa shook her head. “No need to apologize. I am glad you decided to come, though. Octavia really does talk about you all the time. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

              “Sorry it took so long for me to meet you guys,” Clarke said. “I’m really busy a lot of the time.”

              “I imagine being a medical student leaves little time for your personal life. You should enjoy yourself while you can.” Lexa pushed off the railing and gestured to the apartment. “Want to head back inside? Raven is very amusing to watch when she’s intoxicated.”

              Clarke laughed. “I can’t argue there.” She removed Lexa’s jacket and handed it back to the brunette. “Thanks again.”

              “It was no problem.” Lexa slid the door open and let Clarke step inside first.

              The two spent the rest of the night being entertained by their drunken friends and when it was time to leave, Clarke hoped that it wouldn’t be too long before she saw Lexa again.

 

 

 

 

              A few days later, Clarke entered her apartment wearing scrubs with her hair up in a messy ponytail. Along with medical school, she worked as a scribe for a physician and that took a lot out of her most days. Clarke froze when she spotted Raven and Octavia sitting in the living room with Lexa. Gorgeous, amazingly structured Lexa. Clarke was sure she looked like a disaster and subtly tried to fix her hair.

              “Clarke, hey,” Raven said before shoving grapes in her mouth. “Lexa’s here,” she said through a full mouth.  
              Octavia looked offended. “I’m here, too.”  
              “Yeah but you’re always here,” Raven said with a shrug.

              Lexa smiled a greeting at the blonde. “How was your day, Clarke?”

              “Long,” Clarke replied, hoping she didn’t smell too much like a hospital. “I had classes and work.”

              “Where do you work?” Lexa asked, curiously.      

              “I’m a medical scribe.” Off Lexa’s confused look, Clarke clarified. “A personal assistant to a physician. I document stuff and gather information for patient visits. A lot of clerical stuff.”

              “Anya and Lincoln will be here soon,” Octavia said. “You should join us.”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m really tired and I still have to study.” She looked to Lexa. “It was nice seeing you again,” she said before heading to her room.

              “See?” Octavia sighed. “All work and no play.”

              “She’s definitely different from the Clarke you’ve been telling me about in all your stories,” Lexa admitted.

              “She’s had a rough year,” Raven stated just as there was a knock on the door. She got up to answer it and Anya and Lincoln walked in with takeout.

              “Sorry it took so long,” Lincoln said. “Anya was being picky about the movie.”

              “Lincoln wanted some sappy rom-com,” Anya said. “I was pretty sure everyone else would want an action movie.”

              Octavia got up and kissed her boyfriend. “Definitely the action movie. We can watch a rom-com next time.”

              Anya made a face. “Yeah, you can watch that alone.”  
              Once everyone had food and the movie was ready, Octavia turned off the lights and hit play. Twenty minutes into the movie, Lexa got up to use the bathroom and followed the directions Raven gave her. When she opened what she thought was the bathroom door and instead saw Clarke sitting at her desk, she froze in the doorway.

              Clarke turned her head and quirked a brow. “Hi.”

              “Sorry,” Lexa said. “Raven said the first door on the right.”

              Clarke smiled and turned her chair to face Lexa. “Raven lied.”

              Lexa nodded. “I can see that now.” Instead of leaving like she probably should’ve, Lexa stepped further into the room. “How’s the studying going?”

              Clarke sighed. “I think I’m reading words and not taking anything in.”

              “Maybe that’s a sign you need to hold off on it until tomorrow,” Lexa said. “The movie hasn’t been on for long if you want to join us.” The brunette spotted the plate of food Raven had brought Clarke resting untouched on the desk. “And you should probably eat.”

              Clarke glanced at the plate and knew Lexa was right. She picked it up and returned her attention to the beautiful brunette. “Anything else you think I should do?” She asked with a hint of amusement.

              Lexa looked down at the floor sheepishly before looking back at Clarke. “I apologize, Clarke.” She gestured behind her. “I better get back.”

              “Wait,” Clarke stopped her. “You don’t have to leave.”

              Lexa smiled and gestured to the bed. “Is it okay if I sit here?”

              “Go ahead.” Clarke began to eat as Lexa sat down on the edge of the bed. “How were things at Grounders today?”

              “I worked in the dojo all day,” Lexa answered. I love working with the younger kids. They’re really eager and take everything in. I actually prefer working with them over adults.”

              “Was owning a gym slash dojo something you always wanted?” Clarke asked, curiously. She wanted to know everything about Lexa and hoped she didn’t get annoying with all the questions she had.

              Lexa nodded. “My parents wanted me to be a lawyer. I tried to balance what they wanted with what I wanted but in the end it was just too much. I did what I wanted and I’m a lot happier.”

              Clarke understood that perfectly except she hadn’t decided to do what she wanted. She was still in medical school trying to achieve her mother’s dreams and not her own. “Were they pissed?”

              Lexa smiled. “That’s an understatement. They got over it, though. They were proud of me once they realized I wasn’t ruining my life.”

              “How old are you?” Clarke asked, curiously.

              “Twenty-three,” Lexa answered. “How about yourself?”

              “Just turned twenty-one two weeks ago,” Clarke replied. “I skipped freshman year of high school and went straight to junior year so I’m a little ahead.”

              “So it wasn’t an exaggeration when Octavia said you know everything,” Lexa said.

              “No, that was definitely an exaggeration. If I knew everything…” she gestured to her textbook. “This stuff would come a lot easier to me.”

              Lexa stared at Clarke for a beat before speaking. “Did you always want to be a doctor, Clarke?”

              Clarke didn’t think she’d ever get tired of how Lexa said her name. “No," she admitted. "I-,”

              Octavia opened the door and looked from Lexa to Clarke. “This is where you disappeared to. You’re missing all the good parts.”

              Clarke wanted to throw her fork at her best friend. “I better get back to studying.”

              “Nice talking to you,” Lexa said as she stood up. “Have a goodnight, Clarke,” she said before leaving the room with Octavia.

              Clarke sighed, already missing Lexa’s presence. There was something about the brunette that Clarke found mesmerizing and she wanted to get to know her. Maybe she would try to make a little more effort to join her friends during their outings if it meant she would get to see Lexa more.

               

               

               


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

              Clarke shot up from her sleep, gasping for air. She flung her blanket from her body and moved so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. After a few deep breaths, she ran a hand through her hair and looked over at the clock on her nightstand. It was four in the morning and she had only fallen asleep three hours ago. Sighing, Clarke got up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Once she gulped it down, she made her way back to her room and sat down at her desk. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep so she figured she would put her time to use.

              Clarke was an hour into studying when she heard her door open. She turned her head and was greeted by Raven. “What are you doing up?” Raven had seen the light in the room when she was on her way to the bathroom and wasn’t too surprised because Clarke had a lot of sleepless nights.

              “Couldn’t sleep,” Clarke answered. “What about you?”

              “Bathroom,” Raven replied. “Speaking of that, I’ll be right back.” Raven left and returned within a few short minutes. “Okay, come on.” She didn’t have her leg brace on but she was using her cane to help her move around. She got onto Clarke’s bed and dropped her cane onto the floor. “We both know you need all the sleep you can get.”

              Clarke knew there was no point in arguing. She got onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling until she heard Raven’s breathing even out. Once the brunette was asleep, Clarke slipped out of bed and went back to her desk to get some work done.

 

             

              Raven’s eyes fluttered open and she reluctantly sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked beside her but didn’t see Clarke. Instead, she was greeted with a note.

              _Thanks for keeping me company. Breakfast is in the microwave for you. Can you tell O that I’ll try to make it out tonight? Thanks. – Clarke_

Raven got up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen, taking note of how spotless it looked. It definitely hadn’t been clean last night so she knew Clarke probably hadn’t gotten any sleep. Turning back around, Raven went into her room to get her cellphone and promptly called Octavia.

              “Hey, we still on for Trikru tonight?” Octavia asked.

              “Actually, I was kind of hoping to change the plans up,” Raven answered. “How do you feel about an intervention?”

              “Clarke will kill us,” Octavia replied. “You know she’ll be pissed, Raven. Remember a few months ago when we sat her down to tell her how worried we were about her and she got all defensive and stopped talking to us for a week? Think that, but ten times worse if we put her through an intervention.”

              Raven sighed in frustration. “I don’t know what else to do. She’s having nightmares still, which means she barely sleeps. She hasn’t spoken to her mother in months, she barely hangs out with us, she forgets to eat sometimes because she’s too busy throwing her life into med school, which she hates. Her personal life is on the brink of being nonexistent. The only reason we’re still in her life is because we’re stubborn bitches.”

              “Raven,” Octavia said, gently. “Breathe.”

              Raven let out a breath and went to plop down in the living room. “What do we do, Octavia?”

              “We continue to be stubborn bitches,” Octavia said, getting a light laugh out of Raven. “She needs us. We just need to be there for her. Like tonight for example. We’re going to Trikru and Clarke has no say in the matter.”

              “What are we going to do? Kidnap her if she doesn’t want to join us?”

              “If we must,” Octavia said. “Look, Clarke’s been through a lot and she just needs more time to find her footing again. She’s going to be okay.”  

 

 

 

              Clarke was exhausted. She knew her friends wanted her to go out tonight but her day had been a rough one and couple that with lack of sleep and she was sure the only place she should be tonight was at home. She was about to settle down in bed when a knock sounded at her door. “No, Raven!”

              Octavia opened the door and poked her head inside. “Wrong best friend.” Clarke sighed and Octavia grinned. “You should pretend to be happy to see me sometimes. You might start giving me a complex.”

              “I am happy to see you… if you’re not here to convince me to go out.”  
              “It’s Trikru. You love that place,” Octavia pointed out. “Come on, Clarke. Everyone will be there.”

              Clarke wondered if everyone included Lexa. She hadn’t seen the brunette since the movie night Raven had at their apartment a few days ago.

              “You’ll get to see more of Lincoln and his friends,” Octavia added. “I really want you to get to know them better.”

              Clarke perked up a bit at this. “Lincoln and his friends?” She repeated. “Lexa and Anya?”

              Octavia nodded. “It’ll be fun. A few drinks, maybe some darts, a few laughs.”

              “Okay, fine,” Clarke relented. “But only for two or three hours.”

              “Better than nothing,” Octavia said, happily. “Get dressed. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

             

 

 

 

              Clarke entered the bar with her friends and they made their way over to the dartboard where Lincoln and his friends were. They were greeted by a chorus of “hellos” and Lexa smiled at Clarke before handing Octavia the darts she was holding and moving over to the blonde.

              “Nice to see you out with us,” Lexa said. “Can I buy you a drink?”

              “No, thank you. I’m not drinking tonight,” Clarke replied.

              “How about a bottle of water?” Lexa tried again.

              “That I can do,” Clarke smiled.

              “I’ll be right back.” Lexa headed over to the bar and leaned against the counter. “Two waters, please, Echo.”

              The bartender smiled at Lexa. “A new one already?” She said as she nodded over at Clarke. “I don’t know how you do it.”

              “It’s not like that,” Lexa said as Echo placed two bottles of water in front of her. “She’s a new friend.”

              “Just stop breaking the hearts of the regulars,” Echo said. “The last two still haven’t stepped foot in here.”

              “Again, it’s not like that,” Lexa said as she pulled cash out of her pocket and handed it to Echo. “She’s just a friend.”

              “For now,” Echo said. “In a few weeks she’ll be a heartbroken ex-whatever.”

              Lexa picked up the water bottles. “Just friends,” she repeated before heading over to the table where Clarke had taken a seat. She set the bottle on the table in front of Clarke and sat down across from her.

              Clarke smiled and picked up the bottle. “Thank you.”

               “You’re welcome, Clarke,” Lexa said before taking a sip of her own water. Clarke swore she needed an audio recording of Lexa saying her name so she could set it as a notification ringtone. “So the other day I was watching this doctor show and I wanted to text you to ask if something was medically accurate but I didn’t have your number. I was devastated and I’ve been walking around with this new knowledge that might be wrong.”

              Clarke smiled. “Well for starters, never assume anything on a television show is medically accurate. And I guess I should give you my number to avoid any further destruction of your brain cells.”

              Lexa nodded. “I think that’d be for the best.”

              Clarke chuckled and held out her hand for Lexa’s phone. Lexa unlocked the device and handed it over so that the blonde could input her number. “So how did you and Lincoln meet?” Clarke asked as she tapped away on Lexa’s phone.

              “We grew up together with Anya,” Lexa answered. “It’s always been us three against the world, you know?”   
              Clarke handed Lexa back her phone. “Yeah, I get that. I grew up with Raven and Octavia. I’d be more of a mess without them.”

              Lexa quirked a brow at Clarke’s choice of words. “Are you saying you’re a bit of a mess?”

              “I’ve got a lot of… stuff. It’s not fun to sift through.”  
              “Our _stuff_ , as you say, is what makes us who we are,” Lexa stated. “It builds character and makes us stronger.”

              “Or it ruins us.” Clarke regretted her words as soon as she said them. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be all dark and pessimistic. At least not right now.”

              Lexa smiled. “Want to go for a walk? I’d like to talk to you in a non-drunken atmosphere.”

              “That would be really nice,” Clarke agreed. She left the bar with Lexa, which went unnoticed by their friends who were focused on their dart game.

              “So have you given any thought to getting a membership to Grounders?” Lexa asked. “Raven seems to enjoy herself whenever she comes in. We’ve been boxing. She’s actually really good.”

              Clarke frowned. “You don’t have to say it like that; like you’re surprised she can manage to be good at something physical.”

              Lexa was confused by Clarke’s sudden anger towards her. “I didn’t mean it like that at all. I just meant for a beginner, she’s surprisingly good. She catches on quickly.”

              Clarke let out a breath. “I’m sorry,” she said, sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to explode on you.”

              “You’re defending your friend. I can’t blame you for that. We’re cool,” Lexa assured her.

“But if you want to make it up to me, you should visit me at Grounders tomorrow. We could have lunch and I’ll give you a tour.”

              Clarke thought about her plans for tomorrow. She had classes and work but there was a two hour gap between the two. Usually she would go to the library and get some work done but a change would be nice. “Okay, we can do lunch.”

              Lexa smiled, triumphantly. “Great. That’ll definitely give me something to look forward to.”

              The two continued to walk, asking questions to learn more about each other and subtly flirting every now and then.

              “Wait,” Clarke said, surprised at Lexa’s answer to one of her questions. “Neither of your parents are lawyers but they wanted you to be one? That doesn’t sound fair.” Clarke had learned that Lexa’s mother was a military woman while her father was a police officer.”

              “They didn’t want me to follow in their footsteps,” Lexa explained, “but they wanted me to have a career that would give me a stable life. Well, what they consider stable. My uncle is a lawyer and he is doing very well for himself. My parents wanted me to follow on that path. Are either of your parents doctors?”

               “My mother is,” Clarke answered. “She talked me into medical school. I wanted to be an artist, which I know is silly.”

              “No, that’s not silly at all,” Lexa cut in. “I mean, unless you’re horrible at it.”

              Clarke smiled. “I was pretty amazing at it.”

              “Was?”

              “I haven’t picked up a brush in almost a year. I’m just too busy with everything else and I haven’t been inspired in a long time.”

              “What does your father do?” Lexa asked. “Was he fine with you being an artist?”

              Clarke smiled, sadly. “He supported me wholeheartedly. He would always hang my artwork everywhere in the house.” Clarke took a deep breath. “He died eight months ago.” Clarke was relieved when Lexa didn’t apologize for her loss or try to comfort her. It would’ve made things awkward for her.

              “After we successfully have lunch together my next goal will be to see your artwork,” Lexa announced. “I have an aunt who is big on art. She’s a huge collector. I’ve developed an eye for it.”

              “Art’s my past,” Clarke said as she stopped walking to face Lexa. “I don’t give it much thought.”

              Lexa took the hint and dropped the subject. She shoved her hands into the back of her jean pockets and studied Clarke for a moment. She could see the sadness in Clarke’s amazingly blue eyes and it was something she had noticed when they first met—the lingering sadness that stopped all of Clarke’s smiles from reaching her eyes.  She wanted to know more about Clarke. She was extremely intrigued by her. Lexa broke eye contact and looked down at the sidewalk. She hadn’t been enamored by anyone in a long time and this feeling caught her off guard.

              “Are you okay?” Clarke asked, worried that she might’ve upset Lexa with her comment.

              Lexa looked up to meet Clarke’s gaze. She gestured to her own head. “Just thinking thoughts.”

              Clarke raised her brows. “Care to share with the class?” Clarke’s phone sounded and she pulled it out of her pocket to look at who was calling. “It’s Octavia,” she said to Lexa before answering. “Hey.”

              “Where’d you and Lexa go?” Octavia asked.

              “Just for a walk,” Clarke replied. “We’re on our way back now. See you in a few,” she said before ending the call.

              “This was a nice walk,” Lexa said as they began to walk back towards the bar. “Too bad there isn’t a nice view of the stars so I can fail at impressing you again.”

              Clarke laughed lightly. “Is that what you were trying to do?”

              “Yes,” Lexa admitted. “I’ll just have to try harder.”  
              Clarke smiled. “Yeah, I guess you will.” A small smile remained on Clarke as they walked the rest of the way to the bar in silence.

             

 

 

              Octavia was sitting at a table with everyone when Clarke and Lexa returned. The brunette looked between them and had to force herself to not glare at Lexa. This is not what she had in mind when she wanted Clarke to befriend Lincoln’s friends. Raven could sense Octavia’s change in mood and stood up. “Hey, O, come with me,” she said, not bothering with a reason. Octavia got up and followed Raven to the bathroom. “What’s with the murder eyes?” Raven asked.

              “Am I that obvious?”

              “To me,” Raven replied. “What’s up?”

              Octavia sighed. “I think Clarke and Lexa are into each other.”

              “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” Raven said, confused.          

              “Lexa’s track record with women isn’t the greatest,” Octavia explained. “In the time that I’ve known her, at least three women have been completely heartbroken by her. On top of losing her father, being estranged from her mother, Finn being a total ass _and_ her survivor’s guilt— the last thing Clarke needs is any type of intimate involvement with Lexa.”

              “Okay, I’m on your level now,” Raven said, now understanding her best friend’s issue with Clarke and Lexa getting too close. “What do you want to do?”

              “I’m going to talk to Lexa tomorrow,” Octavia said, confidently. She enjoyed Lexa as a boss and loved her friendship but there was no way she was allowing the womanizer to add Clarke as a notch on her belt.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 

              The following day, Octavia was at work, nervous about what she wanted to do but knew there was no way she would let her feelings go about Lexa taking an interest in her best friend. When it was time for her break, she took a deep breath and made her way through the gym and to the door that led into the dojo. She spotted Anya sparring with one of her clients but didn’t see Lexa. She assumed her other boss was in her office and made her way upstairs, becoming increasingly nervous as she neared the room. She knocked on Lexa’s office door and only had to wait a second before she heard the brunette tell her to come in.

              Lexa looked up from the papers on her desk and leaned back in her chair. “What can I do for you, Octavia?”

              Octavia closed the door and moved to stand in front of the desk. “I’m not sure how to go about this so I’m just going to say it,” the younger woman began. “Clarke has been through a lot this past year and she’s still healing. Her father passed away-,”

              “Eight months ago,” Lexa finished for her. “Clarke told me.”

              Octavia’s eyes widened in surprise. Clarke avoided talking about her father so she definitely hadn’t expected to learn that the blonde had informed Lexa, someone she had only seen a few times, of the man’s passing. She quickly regained her bearings and forged on. “A month after he passed, Clarke was in a car accident with her cousin and two of our good friends.”

              “Was Raven one of them?” Lexa asked, curiously, wondering if that was how Raven got her leg injury.

              Octavia nodded. “Yes. She and Clarke were the only ones to survive. There’s also this whole thing with her asshole ex, but the point I’m trying to make here is that Clarke doesn’t need any drama in her life.”

              Lexa frowned. “And you think I’ll bring drama into her life? You wanted us to meet.”

              “Yeah, to become friends,” Octavia stated. “That’s it. I’ve seen you around her. You’re interested in more than just friendship. I know your history, Lexa. I don’t mean to be an ass but she’s my best friend and I don’t want to see her get hurt. Look, I know you like to play the field and I’m not judging you, but Clarke is off limits. If you want to be her friend, great. Anything more than that, though, is a problem.”

              Lexa clenched her jaw. She knew what Octavia had probably heard and seen of her when they went out together. Her track record with women wasn’t the greatest. She regrettably had hurt a few women in the last few months. “I understand.”

              Octavia instantly felt relief wash over her. “You do?”

              Lexa nodded. “I do not plan to pursue any type of physical relationship with Clarke.”

              Octavia’s relief turned into worry. “We’re okay, right? I’m not fired and we’re still friends?”

              “We’re fine,” Lexa assured the worried brunette.

              “And do you think we can keep this conversation between us?” Octavia asked.

              “I won’t inform Clarke about this,” Lexa promised.

              There was a knock at the door and Anya entered the office. “Am I interrupting something?”

              “No, we were done,” Lexa said as she returned her attention to the paperwork on her desk.

              Octavia felt like she had probably upset Lexa but she didn’t regret her decision to talk to her. She exited the room and Anya plopped down on the chair in front of Lexa’s desk. “What was that about?”

              “Nothing,” Lexa replied, nonchalantly.

              “Liar,” Anya said.

              Lexa sighed and looked up at her best friend. “Octavia wants me to keep my relationship with Clarke platonic because she thinks I’m a womanizer.”

              “I wouldn’t categorize you as a womanizer. It’s not like you ever told any those women you wanted a relationship with them. They just thought they could get more out of you than what you wanted to give. You’re more of just a basic jerk.”

              A light laughed escaped Lexa at Anya’s description of her. “You’re too kind.”

              Anya smirked. “I try.” She grew serious as she looked at Lexa. “Hey, I know everything that happened with Costia really hurt you and it’s only been three months so you’re still dealing with it. Octavia doesn’t know that you being a whore is your coping mechanism.” Lexa crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Anya, who laughed in return. “I’ll let you get back to work. I have another appointment in a bit. Want to hang out tonight?”

              “Sure,” Lexa replied. “Can we do something inside, though? I don’t feel like going out.”

              “Sounds good.” Anya left the office and as she walked down the stairs, she spotted Clarke enter from outside. “Hey, Clarke.”

              Clarke smiled and walked over to Anya. “Hey, how are you?”

              “Pretty good,” Anya replied. “You here to join?”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m having a late lunch with Lexa.”

              Anya smirked as she gestured to the stairs. “First door you see when you get up there is Lexa’s office.”

              “Thanks, Anya,” Clarke said before making her way upstairs. She had been looking forward to this lunch. Being around Lexa was fun and easy. She knocked on the door and entered at the “come in” she heard.

              Lexa saw Clarke and smiled, setting her pen down as she stood up. “Clarke,” she greeted her.

              Clarke returned the smile. “You look surprised to see me. Did you forget we were having lunch together?”

              “Of course not.” Lexa had been looking forward to having lunch with the blonde. “I just thought we agreed on two o’clock.”

              Clarke looked amusedly at the brunette. “Lexa, it is two o’clock.”

              Lexa picked up her phone from her desk and looked at the time. “So it is. Sorry,” she sighed. She gestured to her desk. “I got caught up in the business end of my work.”

              “If you need to finish something, I can go look around while I wait.”

              Lexa shook her head. “The paperwork will be here when I get back. I welcome the chance to be preoccupied by something more intriguing.” Clarke blushed lightly as Lexa gathered her wallet from her desk. Lexa remembered Octavia’s words and knew she would have to make more of an effort to not flirt with Clarke. “Did you want to go anywhere specific?”

              Clarke exited Lexa’s office with the brunette following behind her. “Wherever you want to go is fine.” The blonde looked around the dojo. “Is Octavia here today? I’d like to say a quick hi.”  
              “She’s on the other side.” Lexa made her way to the door in the middle of the room and opened it for Clarke to step through first. Clarke walked through the door and saw Octavia leading a group exercise. She waved to get her best friend’s attention and when Octavia noticed her, she excused herself from the group, telling everyone to keep doing what they were doing.

              “Hey, Clarke,” Octavia smiled. “What brings you here?”

              “I have plans with Lexa,” Clarke replied. “I thought I mentioned it.”

              “Nope, first time I’m hearing about it.” Octavia tried to keep her tone as nonchalant as possible. “What are you two going to do?”

              “Just lunch,” Clarke replied. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hi. You get back to work. I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

              “You will.” Octavia tossed a warning glance at Lexa before getting back to work, hoping that her boss really had taken her words to heart

             

 

              “Wait,” Clarke laughed lightly. “So Anya went to your class and took the exam for you without your professor ever realizing it?”

              “Correct,” Lexa replied, not being able to stop herself from smiling because of Clarke’s infectious smile. “The class was in a big auditorium and there were too many students. I would’ve been surprised if he had noticed.

              “Did you end up with a decent grade?”

              “I did,” Lexa said. “Anya aced it.”

              “Now that’s a solid best friend,” Clarke said. “I bet you never got that drunk on a weekday again.”

              “I didn’t even look at alcohol for a month after that,” Lexa confirmed. “Do you have any crazy college stories?” A blush immediately appeared on Clarke’s cheeks and Lexa quirked a brow. “That embarrassing, huh?”

              Clarke sipped her drink before responding. “It involves streaking, a cop, hiding in bushes and poison ivy.”

              Lexa snorted out a laugh. “Please don’t tell me that means what I think it does.”

              Clarke sighed as she thought back to her freshman year of college. “It was not a fun experience.”

              Lexa wiped her eyes as her laughter died down. “That is very unfortunate.” Lexa ran a hand through her hair and Clarke nodded to the tattoo on the brunette’s bicep. She had noticed it in Lexa’s office and it was now catching her attention again.

              “How many tattoos do you have?”

              “Three so far,” Lexa replied as she glanced at the tribal tattoo on her bicep. “I have an infinity symbol on my neck and very sci-fi nerd tattoo on my back symbolizing the sky falling to the Earth.”

              “That sounds pretty cool,” Clarke said. “I love the thought of having a tattoo but then knowing me, I’d probably dislike it weeks later. Does your tribal tattoo mean anything?”

              Lexa smirked. “It’s kind of this inside joke. Anya and Lincoln refer to me as the commander sometimes because of how strict and serious I can be. The tattoo symbolizes my title as commander.”

              Clarke smiled. “I like it.”

              Lexa returned the smile. “Thank you. I designed it. I designed all of them, actually.”

              Clarke tilted her head to the side a bit as she narrowed her eyes at the brunette. “You said you had an eye for art but you never said anything about being an artist.”

              Lexa shrugged. “I don’t really see myself as one. I’m not big on studying works of art and fawning over famous painters. It’s more of just a hobby for me. Lincoln’s the one that did my tattoos. He’s more of a nerd for art.”

              Clarke smiled. “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?”

              Lexa winked at Clarke in response before picking up her coffee to take a sip from it. Clarke’s smile widened and she shook her head in amusement. Clarke’s phone alarm went off and she quickly picked it up from the table to shut it off. She hated that time had gone by so quickly. “I have to head to work.”

              Lexa smirked. “Should I be worried that you set an alarm for when lunch should end? Was it your back-up plan to escape if it had gone poorly?”

              Clarke laughed. “No, I just knew I’d lose track of time talking to you if I didn’t set it.”  

              There was a glint in Lexa’s eyes at Clarke’s words. “So you’re saying you enjoy my company?”

              “I didn’t say that,” Clarke grinned. “But I’m fine with your assumption.”

              “Okay, since I’m assuming you enjoy my presence, I think we should do this again. I know your schedule is crazy so I’ll text you later and we can set something up next week if you’d like.”

              “I would like that,” Clarke replied. “Thank you for lunch, Lexa.” Clarke stood up and began to gather her things.

              “You’re welcome, Clarke.” Lexa remained where she was. “I think I’m going to finish my coffee before I head back.” They hadn’t gone far. Just around the corner from where Grounders was located.

              Clarke bid Lexa farewell before leaving the café and Lexa watched her leave, hating that their time together wasn’t longer. She knew she hadn’t toned down her flirting and told herself that she would have to be more platonic towards Clarke in the future as to respect Octavia’s wishes.  

             

             

             

              Clarke entered her apartment that night, drained from her day of classes and work. The best part of her day had been lunch with Lexa and throughout the day, she found herself replaying their conversations and smiling.

              Raven and Octavia were in the kitchen working on dinner and she greeted them both.

              “Heard you had lunch with Lexa,” Raven said. “How’d that go?”

              Clarke smiled. “It was fun. Lexa’s really cool. Anyway, I slacked a bit today so I’m going to go study.”

              Raven turned away from the stove to look at Clarke. “You went to school and worked all day. Having lunch with a friend isn’t slacking. You’re allowed to have a personal life.”

              “I just don’t want to lose focus,” Clarke replied before heading to her room.

              Raven groaned. “What are we going to do with her?”

              “Once dinner’s done we’ll force her to join us,” Octavia replied. “At least it looks like she’s had a decent day.”

              “Yeah, hopefully she’s improving more than we thought.”

 

 

 

              Clarke’s eyes shot open and she let out a breath as her heart hammered in her chest. She lifted her head from her textbook and rubbed her neck as she stood up from her desk. She knew she would definitely feel the kinks in her neck tomorrow from falling asleep in such an uncomfortable position. She turned off her desk lamp and noticed the blue light blinking on her phone, signaling that she had a notification of some sort. Picking up her phone, Clarke moved to her bed and leaned against the headboard as she opened the text message she had received a little over two hours ago.

              _Lexa[10:02pm]:  I’m hanging with your friends at my apartment and you seem to be missing._

              Clarke bit her bottom lip as she tried to decide whether or not to respond now. Lexa was probably home by now and asleep. Deciding to respond so she at least didn’t seem rude, Clarke sent a reply.

              _Clarke[12:16am]: Sorry for the late response. I was studying and fell asleep._

Clarke was checking her email when her phone buzzed in her hand.

              _Lexa[12:19am]: Well, you were missed._

Clarke smiled as she replied.

              _Clarke[12:20am]: You missed me?_

_Lexa[12:20am]: I didn’t say that… but I’m fine with your assumption._

_Clarke[12:21am]: It’s not an assumption. You just said I was missed._

_Lexa[12:22am]: I didn’t say by me._

Clarke laughed and shook her head at the brunette’s antics.

              _Clarke[12:22am]: Why are you awake?_

_Lexa[12:23am]: Just got in not too long ago. Haven’t settled in yet. How’d the studying go?_

_Clarke[12:24am]: It went._

_Lexa[12:26am]: You need a hobby._

_Clarke[12:26am]: I’m too busy for a hobby._

_Lexa[12:27am]: I’m going to find you a hobby. Actually, spending time with me could be your hobby._

_Clarke[12:28am]: I don’t think that actually qualifies as a hobby.  And do you ever not flirt?_

Minutes went by without a response and Clarke worried that she might’ve said the wrong thing. She was getting ready to send another text when Lexa finally responded.

              _Lexa[12:35am]: I don’t mean to. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable._

Clarke didn’t mind Lexa’s flirtation at all. She actually found it amusing and flirting with the brunette took her mind off of other things.

              _Clarke[12:36am]: You haven’t. Obviously you’re flirtatious by nature. I won’t hold it against you. Besides, I find you amusing._

_Lexa[12:36am]: Good to know. I won’t keep you. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Goodnight, Clarke._

_Clarke[12:37am]: Goodnight, Lexa._

Clarke placed her phone on her nightstand and settled down in bed. She tossed and turned for a few minutes before getting up and going into the living room. She was moving to lie down on the couch and have the TV running as background noise when Raven’s voice startled her from the kitchen.

              “Can’t sleep?” Raven asked.

              “Ohmygod!” Clarke exclaimed as her body jolted from being frightened. “Damn it, Raven. What are you doing?”

              Raven held up her glass of water. “I just got home and wanted something to drink.” She gulped the water down and set the glass in the sink. “Come on,” she said as she made her way to her room.

              Clarke followed behind her friend. “I can sleep on my own. You don’t have to-,”

              “Shut up,” Raven said, simply as she removed her leg brace.

              Clarke smiled and got into the bed as Raven changed into something to sleep in. When the brunette got into bed and snuggled into her pillow, Clarke looked over at her. “I’m sorry. I know I’m a lot to deal with right now.”

              “Jasper during his sad “Maya broke-up with me” phase was a lot to deal with. You’re fine. Now shut up and sleep.”

              Clarke smiled and closed her eyes to fall asleep but peace still wasn’t coming to her. Once she was sure Raven was out, she got up and made her way back to the living room to watch TV until she was tired enough to pass out.   


             

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

A few days later…

              Clarke’s shift at the hospital was over and she was making her way towards the exit when she spotted two familiar faces sitting in the E.R. waiting room. “Lexa. Anya. What are you two doing here?”

              Anya looked up from her phone at the sound of Clarke’s voice and gestured to Lexa. “Small mishap at work.”

              “She hit me in the face with a staff while we were sparring,” Lexa clarified.

              “It was an accident,” Anya huffed, but she really did feel horrible about the situation.

              “How long have you been waiting?” Clarke asked as she moved towards Lexa to look at the bruise on her temple. She cupped the brunette’s chin gently with her thumb and forefinger and tilted her head to the side.

              Anya sighed in irritation. “Almost two hours.”

              “It’s been crazy here all day,” Clarke informed them. She moved her hand from Lexa’s chin and glanced behind her at the staff that was busy answering emergency phone calls and dealing with frustrated patients waiting to be seen.

              “You know what? I think I’m fine. I didn’t even want to come. Anya made me,” Lexa said. “Other people obviously need the attention more. Besides, we have to get back to work.”

              “No,” Anya and Clarke said, simultaneously, causing Lexa to roll her eyes.

              “Anya, you can head back to work if you need to,” Clarke said. “I’ll make sure Lexa gets taken care of.”

              Anya looked like she was going to protest but then she nodded. “Okay, thanks. Text me with an update.” She stood and looked down at Lexa. “Try to not be the worst patient ever.”

              “No promises,” Lexa mumbled, not pleased that she would have to stay at the hospital.

              “She’ll be fine,” Clarke assured Anya. “Come on,” she reached for Lexa’s hand and pulled her up from the seat. She made her way down the hall and when they entered an empty room, she realized that she was still holding the brunette’s hand. “Sorry.” She released Lexa’s hand.

              Lexa simply smiled and moved to sit down. “So, I haven’t seen you in a few days,” she began. “It’s a shame a near death experience is what it takes for you to spend time with me.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “This is not a near death experience. And don’t joke about that. It’s not funny,” she added, seriously.

              Lexa remembered Octavia telling her about the car accident and immediately felt bad. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

              Clarke shook her head. “It’s fine.” She picked up a small flashlight and moved closer to Lexa. “Follow the light with your eyes, okay?”

              “Sure,” Lexa replied. “Do med students usually treat patients?” She asked, teasingly.

              “I know more than most med students,” Clarke said as she continued shinning the light in Lexa’s eyes for her to follow. After a few seconds, she turned off the flashlight and ran Lexa through a few more tests; examining her hearing, balance, reflexes and coordination. “You have a moderate concussion. You’ll just need some rest, _but_ let me get an actual doctor to verify that. Don’t go anywhere.”

              “Can’t I just take your word for it?” Lexa stood up, not wanting to stick around any longer.

              “Sit. Don’t move,” Clarke said, sternly. Lexa huffed and sat back down as Clarke left the room. The blonde made her way to another wing of the hospital and spotted who she was looking for right away. She approached CeCe Cartwig, an amazing doctor as well as a friend to her family. “Doctor Cartwig, could I ask for a favor?”

              CeCe looked up from the tablet she was holding. “Clarke, hey. I would love to do you a favor but I’m just about to head into surgery. Your mom is free. She just came out of a surgery.”

              Clarke forced a tightlipped smile. “Thanks, I guess I’ll go find her.”

              “She misses you, Clarke,” CeCe added before walking away with her tablet tucked under her arm.

              Clarke sighed and just as she was about to move to go find her mother, she saw the woman turn the corner and freeze momentarily at the sight of her. They rarely saw each other at the hospital since Clarke mostly stuck to her clerical work but when they did cross each other’s path, Clarke never had anything to say.

              “Clarke,” Abby greeted her daughter, cautiously.

              “Mom,” Clarke said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. “I have a friend here who has been waiting for a while to be looked over. I think it’s just a moderate concussion but I would appreciate it if you could check her out.”

              Abby nodded. “Of course.”

              “Thank you.” Clarke gestured down the hall. “I’ll take you to her.”

              Abby began to follow her daughter and as they walked, she couldn’t help but notice the slight bags under her daughter’s eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping well.”

              “Yeah, it’s almost as if I’m in med school and working fulltime,” Clarke replied.

              Abby ignored the sarcasm and pressed on. “If you’re still having nightmares, I could prescribe you something to help you sleep through the night.”  
              Clarke frowned. She hadn’t ever told her mother she was having nightmares. Realization dawned on her that Octavia or Raven were supplying her mother with updates on her wellbeing.

              “Don’t be upset with them,” Abby said. “I get in touch with them from time to time to see how you’re doing.”

              Clarke stopped in front of the room Lexa was in and turned to face her mother. “I’m fine,” she said, simply before opening the door. “Still feeling okay?” She asked Lexa as she entered the room.

              “Besides this ridiculous headache, I’m incredibly bored,” Lexa answered.

              Abby pulled a flashlight out of the breast pocket of her lab coat. “I’ll have you out of here as soon as I can. I’m Doctor Griffin.”

              “I’m Lexa. Thanks for taking the time to see me I know there are people out there with more pressing injuries.”

              Abby smiled. “You are very welcome, Lexa. Can you follow this light with your eyes?” Abby began the same series of test that Clarke had done and when she was finished she glanced at Clarke and then Lexa. “You have a moderate concussion,” she announced. “You just need some rest. I would still recommend a CT scan, though.”

              “I’ll have to pass on that,” Lexa said. “But thank you, again. I appreciate you taking the time to see me. Are there papers I have to sign?”

              Abby shook her head. “How about we just call this a favor for a friend of my daughter’s?”

              Lexa was surprised to hear that this was Clarke’s mother but didn’t comment on it. “Thank you.”

              “Do you have a way home and someone to monitor you in case your symptoms get worse?” Abby asked.

              “Me,” Clarke spoke up.

              “Then you’re in great hands,” Abby said to Lexa. “Go ahead and get out of here.” Lexa nodded a thanks to the woman and exited the room.  

              “Thanks, Mom.” Clarke was about to leave but Abby placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder to stop her.

              “We should get together soon,” Abby said. “I’d love to catch up.”

              Clarke shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “I’m really busy all the time so….”

              “Of course,” Abby said. “Have a goodnight, Clarke.”

              Clarke stepped out of the room and Lexa began to walk with her towards the E.R. “So that was your mom? She seems nice.”

              “You’ll have to give me your address so I know where I’m going,” Clarke said.

              “Okay, blatantly changing the subject only makes me more curious,” Lexa stated as they exited the hospital.

              “You know what curiosity did the cat,” Clarke warned with a smirk as they reached her car.  

              Lexa grinned. “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” She opened Clarke’s car door for her so the blonde could get in.       

              “I should be the one opening the door for you,” Clarke said as she got into her vehicle.  

              Lexa shrugged. “I like being chivalrous.” She moved to the other side of the car and got inside. Once she was relaxed into the seat, she let out a breath.

              “You okay?” Clarke asked as she started the car.

              “I’m really tired,” Lexa admitted. “Getting a concussion takes a lot out of a person.”

              Clarke tapped away on her phone and handed it to Lexa. “Input your address so I know where to go. You can close your eyes and rest for a bit during the drive.” Lexa did as she was told and handed Clarke back her phone before closing her eyes.

              A few minutes into driving, Clarke began to sing softly to herself, which caused Lexa to open her eyes and look at the blonde. “A future doctor, an artist and you can sing? I’m going to start feeling inferior around you.”  
              Clarke glanced over at Lexa and smiled. “Says the business owner and mixed martial artist. Also, you designed your own tattoos. That makes you pretty talented, too. Now rest. We still have about ten more minutes before we reach your place.”

              “Will you keep singing?”

              “Sure.”  
              Lexa closed her eyes and smiled faintly as Clarke’s voice filled the car once more.

 

 

 

              Lexa pushed her key into her apartment door and looked behind her at Clarke. “You really don’t have to stay with me.” She unlocked the door and pushed it open.

              “I’m keeping an eye on you,” Clarke said. “I told Anya I would.”

              Lexa stepped into her apartment and then moved aside so Clarke could enter. Lexa was stuck between wanting Clarke to stay and trying to heed Octavia’s warning. The more time she spent with Clarke, the more attracted to her she became and that would no doubt lead her to doing something stupid. She could already hear Octavia berating her but she’d take the chastising for some time with Clarke. “Okay, do you want anything to eat? I’m not hungry myself but I can make you something or order takeout for you.”

              “Oh, don’t worry. I can look around and find something myself if you don’t mind. You should rest.”

              “I’m going to take a quick shower, then. You go ahead and make yourself at home,” Lexa said before heading to her room.

              Clarke removed her jacket and draped it over the couch before making her way into the kitchen. She looked through the cupboards deciding she wanted cereal and spotted nothing but the healthiest cereals ever made. Settling for Chex, Clarke began to look for a bowl. “Lexa?”

              Lexa entered the kitchen, holding a shirt to her chest with one arm. “Yeah?”

              “Where are your bowls?” Clarke asked as she continued her search, not noticing Lexa’s state of partial undress. Lexa moved to a cabinet and Clarke’s eyes widened when she saw Lexa’s bare back and a glimpse of the side of her breast. She probably should’ve looked away but the tattoo on the brunette’s back caught her attention. “Your geek tattoo is really cool.”

              Lexa smiled as she handed Clarke the bowl. “Thanks.” She turned back around and raised her hair to reveal the tattoo on the back of her neck. “This is my other one.”

              Clarke looked at the tattoo. It was an infinity symbol that seemed to broken on the right side; several dots were there instead of a line and then it continued smoothly. “A broken infinity symbol? Is there a story behind that?”

              Lexa let her hair drop and turned back around to face Clarke. “Yes… for another day.”

              Clarke did her best to keep her eyes from drifting down to Lexa’s chest. “Sounds good.” She held up the bowl. “Thanks.”

              “You’re welcome, Clarke.”

              Clarke grinned. “And you should really invest in some more exciting cereal options.”

              Lexa feigned offense. “In my home for less than five minutes and already judging my life choices?”

              “Not judging. Just making a suggestion.”

              “I’ll keep it in mind. I meant it when I said make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said before making her way to the bathroom.

              Clarke stared at Lexa’s back as she walked away and let out a breath. She was attracted to the brunette but she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to get intimately involved with anyone. At least not right now.

             

 

Two hours later…

              Clarke was sitting on the couch across from the one Lexa was on, sketching the sleeping brunette. Lexa had been watching TV when she fell asleep and Clarke couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the woman was while in a peaceful slumber. It had been months since she had pressed pencil to paper in this manner and it felt comforting. Her gaze traveled from Lexa to the sketchpad that had been on the coffee table filled with small random sketches. She hoped Lexa wouldn’t mind her borrowing it. Her gaze traveled from the sketchpad to Lexa as she tried to get every detail just right.

              Lexa shifted in her sleep and a frown took over her peaceful slumber. Clarke looked up from the sketchpad to make sure Lexa was okay before returning to her work. Seconds later, Lexa shot up from the couch with a loud gasp causing the remote to drop to the floor.

              Clarke set the sketchpad aside and quickly moved to Lexa. “Hey, hey. You’re okay.” She sat down beside the brunette and placed a comforting hand on Lexa’s thigh.

              Lexa let out a breath as she rubbed her hands over her face.

              “What did you dream about?” Clarke asked as she soothingly rubbed her thumb over Lexa’s thigh.

              Lexa let out a sheepish laugh. “I was some sort of leader and a bunch of my people had been slaughtered. Crazy, I know.”

              Clarke smiled. “I’d take it over my nightmares any day.”

              Lexa relaxed, resting her back against the couch. “What do you have nightmares about?”

              Clarke realized her hand was still on Lexa’s thigh and quickly moved it. “Nothing, they’re… nothing.” Clarke went to stand up, but Lexa placed a hand on her shoulder.

              “Hey,” Lexa began. “You can talk to me, Clarke. I know we’re still new to this friendship but I’m here for you.”

              Clarke nodded. “Thanks, Lexa. I’m fine, though. Really.”

              Lexa knew the blonde was lying but she wasn’t going to push. “Okay.” She looked over at the couch where Clarke had left her sketch. “Is that me?” She got up and reached for the sketchpad.

              “Uh- that’s… um, it’s not finished yet.” Clarke’s cheeks were turning red as Lexa continued to stare at the sketch.

              The front door opened and Clarke took the sketchbook from Lexa and tore it from the sketchpad. She folded it up and pushed it into her back pocket as Anya entered the apartment. “Hey,” Anya greeted them. “How’s your head, Lexa?”

              “Better,” Lexa replied. “The headache’s barely there now.”

              Anya looked at Clarke. “Thanks for staying with her.”

              “Yeah, it wasn’t a problem,” Clarke assured her. “I guess I better get going.” She looked at Lexa. “I’ll text you later.”

              “Let me walk you to your car.” Lexa slipped her shoes on and ignored the teasing smirk that Anya was sporting. As they walked down the stairs of the building, Lexa glanced over at Clarke. “Thanks for sticking around.”

              Clarke smiled. “It was nice. I enjoyed myself. We should do something like this again.”

              Lexa smirked. “Will I have to be injured or…?”

              Clarke rolled her eyes but a smile was still on her face. “No, you don’t have to be hurt for me to spend time with you. How about Saturday? I have a lot of errands, studying and I need to put in my best friend time with Raven and Octavia, but maybe we could do something that night.”

              “Okay, just let me know,” Lexa said. “Drive safely. Send me a text when you get home.” Lexa watched Clarke get into her car and waved as the blonde drove off. She made her way back up to her apartment and when she entered the room, Anya was sitting on the couch watching TV. “You got off work an hour ago. Where’d you end up going?”

              Anya smirked. “I was giving you and Clarke privacy.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes as she moved to sit down beside Anya. “We’re-,”

              “Just friends? That’s bullshit. You’re totally into her.”

              “No I’m not.”

              Anya laughed lightly. “Yeah, okay,” she said, sarcastically.

              Lexa picked up the throw pillow on the couch and hit Anya on the head with it before heading to her room.

 

 

 

              Clarke entered her apartment and knew she was home alone from how quiet it was. She didn’t other turning on the light as she made her way to her room. She placed her things down and went to take a shower and once she was back in her room, she settled onto her bed and sent a quick text to Lexa.

Clarke[8:02pm]: I’m home. Hope your head is feeling better.

Lexa[8:04pm]: It is. Being in your company helped a lot.

Clarke[8:05pm]:Glad I could be of service.

              Seconds later, Clarke’s phone began to ring and she saw Lexa’s name popup on the screen. Smiling, she answered the call. “You’re not supposed to call during a text conversation. There’s a rule and everything.”

              Lexa chuckled. “I’m getting tired so I want to talk this way instead of staring at my phone.”

              Clarke moved so that she was lying on her stomach instead of leaning against her headboard. “If you’re tired you should go to sleep.”

              “I’d rather talk to you,” Lexa replied. “Tell me something about yourself.”

              “Like what?” Clarke asked.

              “Anything. Like, what’s your favorite childhood memory or who’s your celebrity crush?”

              “Um… favorite childhood memory would have to be family game night. My parents and their best friend would come over with his son and we’d play board games. It was always a great time.”

              “I’ve been banned from all future board games,” Lexa admitted. “I get too competitive.”

              Clarke smiled. “So do I. The first time Wells beat me in a board game I insisted that he cheated and didn’t play the game for months after. I’m a bit of a sore loser.”

              “I’ve never met Wells before,” Lexa said, trying to think of all the people Octavia had introduced her to.

              “Wells… he- there was an accident. He died a few months ago.” Clarke couldn’t pinpoint the reason why, but she wanted to tell Lexa more. “It was a car accident. Wells died on impact. My cousin, Charlotte, died on the way to the hospital. Raven got a permanent leg injury. And me—I just got a few cuts and bruises. I was driving. I didn’t stop in time to avoid the man running the red light. If I had been quick enough-,”

              “Hey,” Lexa stopped her. “It wasn’t your fault.”

              Clarke let out a breath and rubbed her eyes that were pooling with tears. “I’m sorry,” she said, softly. “I didn’t mean to ruin our conversation.”

              “Nothing’s been ruined,” Lexa assured her. “I’m sorry you’re hurting so much. I’m here if you want to talk about this, Clarke.”

              Clarke was silent for a long time before speaking again. “My celebrity crush is Olivia Wilde.” There was another long pause in conversation and Clarke thought bringing up the accident had probably made things awkward, but then—

              “I approve of your celebrity crush,” Lexa said. “What’s your favorite color?”

              “I don’t have a favorite color,” Clarke replied, relieved that Lexa wasn’t pushing her to talk more about the accident or rushing to get off the phone.

              “Okay, weirdo. Who doesn’t have a favorite color?”

              “I like all the colors. I can’t pick a favorite.”

              “Well mine’s blue,” Lexa stated. “Not any blue. Sort of a grayish-blue. Kind of like… kind of like your eyes.”

              Clarke smiled. “My eyes?”

              “Yeah, they’re the perfect kind of blue.”

              Clarke felt a warmth rush through her. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a while. “You’re a ridiculous flirt.”

              Lexa chuckled. “I’m being serious. Any flirting is unintentional.”

              The two continued to ask each other questions and joke around until Lexa’s last question went unanswered. “Are you about to tell me you don’t have a type or are you thinking really hard about it?” She still didn’t get a response and smiled to herself when she heard the sound of Clarke’s even breathing. “Goodnight, Clarke,” she said before ending the call.

              As Lexa closed her eyes to fall asleep, she couldn’t help but think of Clarke and an old feeling rushed through her that caused her eyes to open in shock. She wasn’t just physically attracted to Clarke. She had a crush on her.

              Octavia was going to kick her ass.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

              Raven exited her room and found Clarke in the living room frowning at her textbook. “Why the hell are you studying at eight in the morning?” She entered the kitchen and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet.

              “I didn’t get much studying done yesterday,” Clarke answered as she kept her eyes on the book. “I was with Lexa. She had a concussion and I was looking after her.”

              “That was nice of you. You must really like her,” Raven said, conversationally.

              Clarke smiled. “She’s amusing. I like spending time with her.”

              Raven poured cereal into her bowl as she spoke. “She’s also very attractive. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

              Clarke finally looked up from her textbook to meet the questioning gaze of her best friend. “I have.”

              “She’s also very gay,” Raven added as she moved to the fridge to grab milk. “And you’re also attractive and queer so there’s a high chance that you two will fall into bed together.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “We’re not going to have sex. She’s a friend. All I need and want right now are friends.”

              Raven grabbed a spoon and moved to sit beside Clarke. “Well, just in case you think of falling face first between her legs, O told me she’s the womanizing type. A real Casanova, apparently. She doesn’t like the idea of you two getting too close.”

              “We’re just friends,” Clarke reiterated. “She can do whatever she wants.”

              “Okay, I just don’t want you to end up getting hurt because you catch feelings for her,” Raven explained.

              “There’s nothing to worry about. Being involved in any kind of relationship is the last thing on my mind.” Clarke looked back at her textbook. “Speaking of worrying, you and Octavia need to stop talking to my mother about me.”

              “She misses you,” Raven answered. “She just wants to know how you’re doing since you don’t bother to spare her two words.” Clarke sighed but said nothing. “It’s not fair what you’re doing. And trust me, I understand why you’re angry but don’t you think it’s time to make amends?”

              Clarke slammed her textbook shut and got up from the couch. “She let him die without giving me a chance to say goodbye,” she said, angrily. “How do I forgive that?”

              “Clarke-,”

              “I need to get ready for class,” Clarke cut her off before walking away. Raven sighed and set her cereal on the coffee table before getting up to follow the blonde. Clarke glanced behind her as she heard Raven enter her room. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

              “Look, I know you can hold a grudge like nobody’s business but you’re hurting Clarke. If you’re not going to confide in your friends, then at least talk to Abby. She’s not the only one worried about you.”

              Clarke’s shoulders sagged. “I know. But you and the others don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

              Raven knew Clarke was used to being the one to take care of everyone else. She was the leader of the group. Making sure everyone was doing well and was as happy as they could be. When Raven had gotten injured, Clarke had made it a point to be there for her every step of the way no matter how hectic her schedule was. “I know that’s not true.”

              “I really do need to get ready for class,” Clarke said, simply, not wanting to have this conversation.

              “You know where to find me when you’re ready to talk,” Raven said before leaving the room.

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair and let out a breath just as she heard her phone beep, letting her know she had a text. She picked it up from her desk and she couldn’t help smiling when she saw that it was from Lexa.

_Lexa[8:12am]: Want to be my breakfast buddy?_

_Clarke[8:12am]: I have class soon but how about lunch?_

_Lexa[8:13am]: That works. See you in a few hours at the same café as last time._

              Clarke set her phone down and started getting ready for her day, knowing lunch with Lexa would probably be the highlight of it.

 

 

              Clarke entered the café and quickly made her way to where Lexa was sitting. “I’m sorry,” she said as she sat down. “My professor wanted to talk to me after class.”

              “Was that a good or bad thing?” Lexa asked as she gestured to the food in front of Clarke. “I got something for you when I realized you would be late. I hope that was okay. It’s the same thing you got last time.”

              “She just wanted to make sure I was ready for step one of the board exams,” Clarke answered.

“I take it in two weeks.” She pointed to her meal. “You remembered what I got last time?”

              Lexa shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

              “Well, thank you. Lunch is on me next time,” Clarke said before taking a bite of her sub sandwich.

              Lexa was pleased to hear that lunch between the two might become a regular thing. “So are you nervous about your board exam?”

              Clarke took a sip from her water bottle before answering the question. “Kind of. I don’t have any fallback plans so I’d rather not bomb it.”

              “You said before that you wanted to be an artist,” Lexa stated. “Is that not a fallback plan?”

              Clarke looked down at her food as she spoke her next words. “That’s a dream. Being a doctor is reality. I’ve already devoted so much time to it.”

              Lexa quirked a brow. “That sounds more like ‘I’m already here so I might as well stay.’ You can go to school for art.”

              Clarke smiled. “You’re looking at a pre-med art major. I double majored to get a taste of both worlds. I never told my parents. My mom would’ve been pissed that I was taking my full attention away from pre-med and my dad would’ve worried that I was taking on too much of a workload.”

              “But in the end you chose med school? How’d you come to that decision?”

              “It made the most sense future-wise. It was the more solid path. And I do like helping people so I guess it works out. Did you already know what you wanted to do when you dropped pre-law?”

              “I’ve studied mixed-martial arts since I was a kid. I have a strong passion for it. Even when I took on pre-law, I knew I wanted to be doing something martial arts related.”

              “I’m glad following your dreams worked out for you,” Clarke said. “I think I’m going to stick with medicine.”

              “You should at least make time for your art. If your sketch of me is anything to go by, you’re pretty damn talented, Clarke.” Clarke tried not to blush at the mention of the sketch. She was still embarrassed that she had been caught drawing the brunette. “Anyway,” Lexa continued. “Are you busy tonight? Grounders has been opened for one year today. We’re celebrating at Trikru.”

              Clarke looked at Lexa apologetically. “I’ll have to pass. Congratulations, though.” Lexa frowned as she placed a hand on her chest, wincing a bit. Clarke furrowed her brows in worry. “Are you okay?”

              Lexa nodded. “It’s just a pain in my chest that happens sometimes. No big deal.”

              “That sounds like a huge deal,” Clarke said. “How often is sometimes? Can you list off some symptoms? What are you doing when this pain usually occurs?”

              “It’s a sharp pain that only happens every now and then when you deny me the pleasure of your company.” Lexa smirked at Clarke as the blonde looked at her in disbelief. “I think it’s my heart breaking.”     

              Clarke laughed and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous. Fine, I’ll come out tonight.”

              Lexa smiled, triumphantly. “You won’t regret it.”

 

 

              Lexa entered the dojo after her lunch with Clarke and moved to lean against one of the walls as she watched Lincoln and his class. As soon as this class ended, she would be teaching the next, more advance class.

              Octavia entered the dojo and made her way over to Lexa. Clarke had come in to say a quick hi to her and when she asked what she was doing in the area, Clarke told her she had lunch with Lexa. Octavia knew she shouldn’t make a big deal out of the two hanging out as friends but she needed to make sure she and Lexa were still on the same page.

              “Hey, Octavia,” Lexa said as the other brunette moved to stand beside her. “Are you coming to Trikru tonight?”

              “Wouldn’t miss it,” Octavia assured her. “Clarke mentioned that she’d be there, too.”

              Lexa nodded. “Yeah, I invited her.” She looked at her friend, knowing something was bothering her from the serious look she was sporting. “Was I not supposed to do that?”

              “You’re friends. You can invite her to whatever you want,” Octavia stated. “As long as you remember our conversation.”

              Lexa toyed with the idea of telling Octavia that she did in fact remember their conversation but since then she had developed an unexpected crush on Clarke. She had a feeling that wouldn’t go over well so she kept the last bit to herself. “I remember it. Relax, O. I’m not going to make a move on your best friend. I’m just enjoying her friendship.”

              Octavia relaxed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be the overbearing best friend. I’m just looking out for Clarke.”

              “I get it,” Lexa replied. “No hard feelings.” Lexa could keep her crush under control. She was a grown woman. There was no way she would let her feelings reduce her to something akin to a preteen pining over the most popular person in their class. She had this handled.

 

 

              Clarke was making her way out of the hospital when her mother called for her. She turned around and saw the woman walking her way. The woman never sought her out at the hospital. “Mom, hi. Is everything okay?”

              Abby nodded. “Yeah, I just saw that you requested next Thursday off and I cleared my schedule for that day, too, so I thought we could spend it together.”

              Clarke had her own plans for next Thursday, which included locking herself in her room and staying in bed all day. “It’s going to be a rough day. I think I’d rather just be alone.” Clarke noticed the sadness in her mother’s eyes and felt bad. “If you need me, I can-,”

              “No, sweetie. You do what’s best for you. I’ll be fine.” Abby’s pager went off and she sighed. “Duty calls. You have a goodnight, Clarke.”

              “Thanks. You too, Mom.” Clarke watched the woman rush down the hall and thought about Raven’s words from earlier. She knew she was being hard on her mom but she still got so angry thinking about how everything took place and how blindsided she had been by it all.

              “Hey, Doctor Griffin.”

              Clarke smiled as she turned around to look at Raven. “Hey, Raven. What are you doing here?”

              “I was in the area,” Raven replied. “Wanted to see if my best friend was still upset with me.”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m not. I never was. I’m sorry I was a bitch this morning.”

              “You’re forgiven,” Raven smiled. “I’m actually heading to Trikru right now. Everyone’s going to be there. You should come.”

              “Yeah, Lexa invited me.” Clarke looked down at her scrubs. “I’m just going to head home and shower. I’ll meet you there.”

              “Sounds good,” Raven said. “See you there.”

 

 

              Lexa approached the bar and nodded a greeting at Echo. “Can I get an acid fog?”

              Echo smirked. “Sure. You know your fan club has been asking after you.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes. “I don’t have a fan club.”

              Echo began to make Lexa’s drink, still smirking in amusement. “Yeah well, you haven’t been here in a few days and the ladies are starting to miss you. So what’s going on? Have you turned a new leaf or some shit like that? No more one-night stands and broken hearts?”

              Lexa grinned and leaned against the counter. “Did I break your heart, Echo?”

              Echo pushed Lexa’s drink towards her. “I used you just as much as you used me. No broken hearts between us. That’s not to say if you ever wanted a repeat, I wouldn’t be up for it,” she winked at the brunette and waved her off as she tried to pay. “On the house.”

              Lexa smiled as she accepted her drink. “Thanks, but I think I’m done using sex as an outlet.”

              Echo laughed. “Oh yeah? So what’s the name of the girl that’s got you feeling this way?”

              Lexa sipped her drink, only narrowing her eyes a bit at how strong it tasted. “Shut up,” she muttered before sipping her drink again.

              Echo laughed, louder this time. “And that explains everything. You might want to tell her,” she nodded over to a woman that was heading their way, “that you’re off the market.”

              Lexa turned her head and sighed when she saw an old one-night stand heading her way. She knew this was something she would have to get used to since this bar was her go-to spot when it came to hanging out with her friends. She noticed Clarke enter the bar and felt a wave of happiness course through her. She moved to go greet the blonde but before she could take more than a step, her one-night stand was in front of her.

              “Hey, Lexa. It’s been awhile.” Lexa forced a smile and hoped she could easily end this conversation before it really even began.

 

             

              Clarke approached her friends at their table and sat down at one of the vacant stools. She was swarmed with greetings and smiled at how sincere everyone was about being happy to see her.

              “How was your day?” Lincoln asked her.

              “It was decent,” Clarke replied. “Congratulations on Grounders being open for a year.” She looked away from Lincoln to look at Anya. “You should be really proud.”

              “We definitely are,” Anya smiled. “And you should still stop by to check it out for more than a few seconds. You look like the kickboxing type.”

              Raven pointed to herself. “I enjoy it and I only have one leg to work with. Clarke, you _have_ to join us one day. It’s so fun.”

              “I don’t know,” Clarke began. “Getting beat up for sport doesn’t sound enticing to me.”

              Raven smirked. “You just need the right trainer.” She glanced at Anya. “It helps if they’re hot.”

              Anya winked at Raven before sipping her beer, causing Octavia to roll her eyes. “You two are totally banging, aren’t you?”  

              Raven grinned. “We’re both consenting adults.”

              “She also made the first move,” Anya pointed out. “I was just an innocent bystander… all five times.”

              “Five times?” Octavia asked with wide eyes. “You’ve known each other for two seconds?”

              “Two weeks,” Raven corrected. “And there was plenty of sex to be had in that time.”

              “I’m sure. Are you even really kickboxing when you say you are?” Octavia asked, amused.

              “Of course,” Raven replied. “Sometimes we just cool down with a little horizontal action.”

              Lincoln chuckled. “I’m going to go get more drinks. I’ll be back.”

              “I’ll help you,” Anya said as she left with him.

              “Anya?” Octavia asked once they were alone.

              “Disapprove?” Raven asked.

              “Not at all,” Octavia assured her. “You’re a big girl. You can do whomever you want.”

              Clarke frowned. “But you don’t like the idea of me with Lexa?”

              Octavia gave Raven a “what the hell?” look before responding. “Lexa’s a heartbreaker. I don’t want you to fall victim to her charm.”

              “We’re nothing more than friends but even if that wasn’t the case, I should be able to sleep with whomever I want.”

              “I’m just looking out for you, Clarke,” Octavia said.

              “And I appreciate that but my personal life is _my_ personal life,” Clarke stated.

              “And I respect that,” Octavia said. “But I’m your best friend—your protective best friend. I’m just making sure no one else hurts you. Finn was a real grade A asshole and I don’t want history to repeat itself.” Octavia spotted Lexa at the bar and gestured towards her. “She’s not the committed type.”

              Clarke looked to where Octavia had gestured and saw Lexa speaking to a gorgeous brunette, who was currently laughing at something Lexa had said while being in close proximity to her. She ignored the feeling of jealous that hit her and looked back at her friends. “Then it’s a good thing we’re just friends. And please don’t keep making me repeat that.”

              “Okay, I won’t bring it up again,” Octavia said.

              Clarke looked to Raven, wanting to hear the same thing from her as well. “Yeah, okay. No more talk about you and Lexa.”

              “Thank you,” Clarke replied.

              The three began to talk amongst themselves, having a much more lighthearted conversation but a few minutes later, a drink was placed down in front of Clarke, putting a pause to their discussion.

              “Hello, Clarke,” Lexa greeted her as she sat down beside the blonde. “I’m glad you came.”

              Clarke smiled. “Me too.”

              Anya and Lincoln returned to the table, setting drinks down on the table but before they could settle into their seats, Octavia was getting up. “You know what, Grounder owners should sit together. We’re celebrating you guys tonight, after all.”

              Lexa reluctantly got up from her seat and sat down where Octavia had been sitting a few seconds ago. Octavia took the seat next to Clarke and smiled innocently. “Let’s get this celebration started,” she said before reaching for a drink.

             

 

              An hour later, Lexa pulled her phone out and shot Clarke a quick text as everyone at the table laughed and joked around. She was enjoying herself, but she would’ve much preferred sitting beside Clarke.

 

_Lexa[8:45pm]: You haven’t touched the drink I gave you._

Clarke saw her phone screen light up and picked it up to see who had messaged her. She saw the message from Lexa and smiled as she looked at the brunette with a quirked brow. Lexa grinned and nodded to the blonde’s phone, urging her to reply.

_Clarke[8:47pm]: It’s strong. If I drink that, I’ll be feeling it in the morning. Besides, it’s clear that I’m the designated driver for the night. Our friends are wasted.”_

Lexa looked at her friends, who were all louder and perkier than usual. Lincoln was currently launching into a story that had everyone laughing with just his first few words.

 

_Lexa[8:48pm]: Do you ever let loose, Clarke? I think fun would look good on you._

_Clarke[8:48pm]: Are you fun, Lexa?_

Lexa let out a light laugh at the obvious innuendo.

 

_Lexa[8:49pm]: I can’t decide if that was smooth or just really bad._

              Clarke looked at the brunette and grinned before typing a response.

_  
Clarke[8:49pm]: That was a good one. Admit it. You’re not the only smooth one here._

              Lexa was brought out of her private conversation with Clarke when Lincoln bumped her shoulder with his own. “Lexa, remember when Costia threw a party to celebrate the opening of Grounders?” Before he could continue with his story, Anya shook her head, signaling for him to shut up.  

              Clarke noticed Lexa tense up at the name and watched the brunette down the rest of her drink before standing up. “I’m going to get another one of these,” she said, waving the empty glass. “I’ll be right back.”

              Anya hit Lincoln’s shoulder with the back of her hand after Lexa had left.

              “I know, I know,” Lincoln said, feeling guilty.

              “What just happened?” Raven asked.

              “Bad storytelling,” Anya answered. “Come on, let’s play some darts.”

              Clarke stayed at the table to wait for Lexa to return and when the brunette sat next to her upon her return, she smiled. “Hey, you okay?”

              Lexa nodded. “Yeah… Costia’s just not a good topic.”

              “Then we won’t talk about her,” Clarke replied. “Up for a game of pool?”

              Lexa smiled. “Pool sounds good.” Clarke and Lexa made their way over to the empty pool table and as Lexa set things up, Clarke simply watched her. When Lexa caught Clarke staring at her, she smirked. “What?”

              Clarke shrugged. “Nothing. Just hoping me kicking your ass in pool won’t ruin our friendship.”

              Lexa shook her head. “I’ll have you know that I’m a pro at this.”

              Clarke picked up a pool stick and chalk. “Then I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

 

              Lexa got her ass handed to her and all it did was deepen her ever growing crush on Clarke Griffin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

A few days later…

              Clarke was sitting in the middle of her bed as she flipped through her photo album. She smiled at one of the pictures of her father, remembering the day it had been taken. A knock sounded at the door but Clarke was in her own little world and didn’t hear it. She didn’t notice Raven and Octavia enter her room until she felt a dip in the bed as the two moved to sit on either side of her.

              “Hey,” Octavia said, gently. She looked at the photo album and smiled as she pointed to one of the pictures. “I remember this day. You had just gotten accepted into your school of choice. He was so proud.”

              Raven looked at the picture as well and laughed lightly. Jake had picked Clarke up into a bear hug and hadn’t put her down until the blonde claimed she was seconds away from passing out from loss of oxygen. She placed a hand on Clarke’s back and rubbed it soothingly. “Do you want one of us to drive you to class?”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m not going to classes today.” She closed her photo album and Octavia took it from her so she could set it aside. “You guys don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

              “We’ll check in on you,” Raven promised. “Call if you need anything.”

              “I will,” Clarke assured them. “Thanks.”

              The two left reluctantly and Clarke picked up her phone to text her mother but that only led her to writing and deleting several messages before she decided it was best to just not say anything at all. She ran a hand through her hair and looked over at her laptop for a beat before getting up to sit at her desk. She started up the device and once it was ready, she opened up her media player and located her playlist that had been made with all of her father’s favorite songs. She grabbed a sketchbook and pencil from her desk and moved back to her bed.

              As the music played, Clarke tried to keep her thoughts on the good times she had with her father. Those thoughts weren’t helping her feel any better so she trailed down the list of all the things she had to be happy about as she tried to draw. She ended up tearing page after page from her sketchbook every time she started a drawing because she wasn’t satisfied with any of it.

              Her phone beeped and she looked over at the nightstand at it, seeing a text message notification. She was going to ignore it, thinking maybe it was her mother checking in on her but she picked it up and smiled when she saw that it was from Lexa. 

 

_Lexa[7:45am]: Lunch today?_

_Clarke[7:46am]: Not today. Sorry._

When Lexa didn’t respond right away, Clarke returned her focus to her sketchbook. Her pencil hovered over the blank paper but she still wasn’t sure where to start. Her phone alerted her to another text message and she chuckled as she read it.

 

_Lexa[7:50am]: Sorry it took so long to reply. I was getting over the heartbreak._

_Clarke[7:51am]: Next time. I promise. Try to hold yourself together until then._

_Lexa[7:51am]: I shall do my best. Enjoy your day, Clarke._

              Clarke set her phone down and began to move her pencil against the page of her sketchbook with a practiced ease. After a few minutes, she looked at the sketch she had started of Lexa and smiled at how accurate the image was for having only been from her memory. She wondered briefly if her father would’ve approved of Lexa but then pushed the thought from her head as quickly as it had formed. Lexa was only her friend. That was all she wanted and despite her flirtatious ways, Lexa had never done anything to show Clarke that she was interested in more that friendship.

 

 

 

              Lexa was outside of Clarke’s apartment trying to determine whether she should go back to work or not. She had texted Clarke a few times throughout the day but the blonde had only responded blandly—if at all. She knew something was wrong and had texted Raven about it and the brunette had only said that it was just a bad day for Clarke and she just needed some space. Lexa knew she should’ve probably dropped it after that but she ended up canceling her appointments for the day, going to the grocery store and now here she was.

              She raised her fist and hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. After almost a minute, the door opened and Lexa nodded a greeting. “Hey.” She held up the bag she was holding. “Raven said today would be a bad one for you so I thought I’d drop some stuff off.” Lexa dug into the plastic bag and pulled out ice cream. “I got cookie dough ice cream to help lift your spirits.” She placed it back and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “Champagne to drink away your woes in case it’s that kind of bad day.” She handed the bottle to Clarke and pulled out two DVDs. “Pitch Perfect one _and_ two. I’ve never seen them but I had a feeling you’d be the type to totally love a movie like this. Um, there’s also chocolate… and baby carrots—the unhealthiness of it all was getting to me so I decided to throw that in to balance things out.” She held the bag out for Clarke to take. “I hope something in here helps. I’m actually off work for the rest of the day so if you need anything give me a call.”

              Clarke took the bag and looked down for a moment, touched by the thoughtfulness, before meeting Lexa’s gaze. “This was really sweet of you, Lexa. Thank you.”

              “It wasn’t a problem at all,” Lexa assured her. “Enjoy your day, Clarke.”

              “Wait.” Clarke reached for Lexa’s wrist before she could walk away. “Want to watch these movies with me?”

 

 

              Clarke was singing along to the movie when she noticed Lexa staring at her. She turned her head and quirked a brow at the brunette. “You’re not paying attention.”

              Lexa looked back at the TV but after only a few seconds, she was looking at Clarke once more. “Lexa,” Clarke chastised.

              Lexa laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s just really cute that you’re so into this movie. I’ll pay attention now. I promise.” Lexa looked back at the screen, resting her head on the back of the couch and was caught off guard when she felt Clarke’s head now on her shoulder. She smiled to herself but said nothing as she focused on the TV screen.

              Thirty more minutes went by with them in silence before Clarke spoke again. “Today’s my dad’s birthday,” she said, quietly—her head still resting on Lexa’s shoulder. “He became terminally ill and he and my mom decided not to tell me. If I had known, I would’ve been home more. I would’ve spent more time with him. The whole thing caught me off guard and it’s hurt ever since. Two months, Lexa. Two months that I could’ve been making memories with my father and that was taken from me.”

              “And that’s why you’re upset with your mom?” Lexa felt Clarke nod against her shoulder. “She’d probably like to see you today. I get why you’re upset and I don’t want to piss you off right now but your mother was probably just doing what your father asked of her. He could’ve told you, too, and he didn’t. Maybe you’re this angry with your mother because he’s not here for you to be angry with.”

              Clarke thought about Lexa’s words, knowing the brunette was right. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and she stood up from the couch. “I’ll be right back.”

              Clarke disappeared into her room and Lexa felt guilty, thinking that she might’ve said the wrong thing—upsetting Clarke further. She got up from the couch and made her way to the room, slowly pushing the door open. “Clarke?”

              Clarke sniffed and used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just need a moment.”

              Lexa walked further into the room and tentatively placed a hand on Clarke’s shoulder. “Don’t apologize. Let it out, okay?” She pulled Clarke to her, letting her cry into her shoulder as she held her.

 

 

 

              Clarke was sitting on her bed beside Lexa while they each enjoyed some ice cream. Clarke had cried all her feelings out and now the two were having deep meaningful conversations.

              “Worst relationship you’ve ever been in?” Lexa asked as she set her empty bowl on Clarke’s nightstand.

              “That would have to be my most recent one, actually,” Clarke replied. “My boyfriend of six months had been cheating on his girlfriend with me. He went away for college so they were doing the long-distance thing.”

              “What a complete asshole,” Lexa replied.

              “You have no idea,” Clarke replied. “He spent a week trying to get me back before Octavia spoke to him. I’ve seen him once since then and he practically ran the other way.”

              “Octavia’s always looking out for you, huh?”

              “She is. Raven, too. She’s just more subtle about it. What about you? Any bad relationships?”

              “None as horrible as that.” Lexa ran a hand through her hair and decided if Clarke could open up to her, then she could as well. “There was Costia, my ex-girlfriend. It wasn’t a bad relationship, though. I guess that’s why it hurt so much in the end. We were happy. We had been together for four years—since we were nineteen. She got a job offer in another state and took it. We started doing the long-distance thing but in the end, we drifted apart. I ended things and she didn’t even put up a fight. That was almost four months ago.”

              “That’s… shitty,” Clarke replied.

              Lexa nodded. “Yeah, it was. I tried to get over the whole thing in the wrong way. I’ve broken a few hearts during my healing process. It wasn’t intentional but it is what it is; I messed up.”

              Clarke placed her hand on top of Lexa’s. “No one’s perfect. Sometimes pain makes us do things we wouldn’t otherwise do. We try to find solace anyway we can.” Clarke sighed as she thought about how she had been towards her mother the last few months. “I hate to do this because this has been great but-,”

              “Go see your mom, Clarke,” Lexa cut her off, earning a smile from the blonde. “We can do this again whenever you want.”

              “Thank you,” Clarke replied, squeezing Lexa’s hand gently. “I really do appreciate what you did for me.”

              “You’re welcome, Clarke,” Lexa said as she got up from the bed, missing Clarke’s warm touch as soon as her hand slid from the blonde’s.

              Clarke walked Lexa to the door and smiled. “Th-,”

              “Stop thanking me.” Lexa let out a breathy laugh. “We’re friends. I just wanted to be here for you.”

              Clarke smiled and leaned forward to place a quick kiss on Lexa’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

              Lexa’s was sure her brain was short-circuiting and she felt stupid because it was just an innocent peck on the cheek, yet her heart was racing. She couldn’t even come up with anything flirtatious or witty to say. “Yeah, soon. Good luck with your mom.”

              “I think it’ll go well,” Clarke said, confidently.

              Lexa stepped out of the apartment and looked back at Clarke. “I’ll text you tonight to see how everything went.”

              Clarke watched the brunette head down the stairs of the apartment building and smiled to herself before closing the door. She knew that she had stated several times that she and Lexa were only friends but she couldn’t help but feel like there was something more between them and wondered if Lexa felt it as well.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

              Clarke knocked gently on Lexa and Anya’s apartment door and waited for one of them to answer. Seconds later, the door was being pulled open and Lexa was before her in a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top with her hair flowing down around her shoulders. She looked gorgeous. “Hi,” Clarke greeted her. “Sorry to just stop by like this.”

              Lexa stepped aside and gestured for Clarke to come in. “I don’t mind,” she assured her. “Did everything go well with your mom?”

              Clarke let out a content sigh as she entered the apartment. “Surprisingly well, actually. We talked about everything and cried it out. I really needed to do that. My friends have always told me that I was being unfair but I never listened to them. I guess you said it the way I needed to hear it. I was putting all the blame on my mom because my dad isn’t here for me to me angry with. So, thank you for that. Thanks for everything you did for me today. It meant a lot. I owe you.”

              Lexa smiled. “You’re welcome, Clarke. And you don’t owe me anything. We’re friends, right? I’m here for you.” Lexa was caught off guard when the blonde moved forward, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. She returned the hug, gently rubbing her hand up and down Clarke’s back.

              Clarke pulled out of the hug and smiled sheepishly at Lexa. “Sorry.”

              Lexa laughed lightly. “I don’t exactly mind a hug from a gorgeous woman.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes playfully. “I better get going. I’ll be busy studying for the boards the next few days so I’ll do my best to stay in touch.”

              Lexa nodded. “Please do. I might start to miss you otherwise.”

              Clarke grinned. “Wouldn’t want that. Goodnight, Lexa.”

              “Goodnight, Clarke.” Lexa closed the door once the blonde was gone and before she could make it back to the living room where she had been before, Anya was exiting her room.

              “You should really just screw each other already,” her roommate stated as she made her way into the kitchen for a bottle of water.

              “Shut up, Anya,” Lexa said as she sat down, ignoring the laugh that escaped her best friend.

              Clarke entered her house late that night after leaving Lexa’s place. She had gotten a few texts from Raven and Octavia wondering where she had been all day and they were surprised but pleased to hear that she was trying to make amends with her mom.

              Raven and Octavia looked away from the movie they were watching to look at Clarke. “Hey.” Octavia paused the movie. “How are you?”

              Clarke smiled and let out a content breath. “Better than I have in a long time.”

              Raven was happy for her friend. “What made you want to go see your mom?”

              “Lexa had stopped by and we got to talking about it,” Clarke explained.

              Octavia quirked a brow. “Lexa stopped by?”

              Clarke moved to sit beside her friends. “Yeah, she said she heard that today would be a bad one for me and bought things that she thought would make me feel better. She’s really sweet. But yeah, I talked with my mom and we’re going to start trying to make things right between us.”

              “That’s great, Clarke,” Octavia said, trying not to make a big deal out of the fact that Lexa was getting closer to Clarke. Lexa told her she wouldn’t cross that line with Clarke so she would just have to trust her. “We’re happy for you.”

              “Thanks guys,” Clarke said. “I better shower and get to bed. I have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow.”

              Clarke left her friends to their movie, but they were now focused on something else. “That was nice of Lexa,” Raven began.

              Octavia rolled her eyes. “A little too nice.”

              “Come on, O,” Raven said. “Lexa’s your friend. I think she’s great… especially for Clarke. Haven’t you noticed the difference in her? She’s slowly becoming herself again. Maybe they should get together.”

              “I’m not going to change my mind on this one,” Octavia said. “I don’t think they’d be a good idea.”

              Raven sighed. “Fine, but I don’t know if I agree with that anymore.”

 

 

 

A week later…

              Clarke had been studying nonstop for days and had finally taken her board exam. Now she was out with Raven and Octavia at a friend’s house party. She hadn’t really wanted to go out but she hadn’t seen Lexa in a while and was told she’d be here. Clarke was currently nursing a drink while she talked with Bellamy beside the beer pong table.

              Bellamy leaned against the wall as he waited for his turn to play. “It’s good to see you out,” he said. “We’ve all missed you. The group dynamic isn’t the same without party animal Griffin.”

              Clarke smiled. “I’ve missed you guys, too. I’m sorry that I’ve been to myself so much.”

              “You needed time. We get that. We’re just glad you’re here now.” Bellamy put an arm over Clarke’s shoulders and gave her a light hug. “So, anything new going on?”

              “If there was anything new, Octavia would’ve told you,” Clarke assured him as she looked towards the front door as it opened. She was disappointed to see that it was not Lexa.

              “Expecting someone?” Bellamy asked with a grin. “What’s their name?”

              Clarke shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

              “It’s not?” Bellamy sipped his drink. “That’s funny because the way you’ve been staring down the front door every few minutes makes it seem like it is. But it’s cool if you don’t want to tell me.”

              Clarke sighed. “Her name’s Lexa.”

              “Lexa?” Bellamy repeated. “Octavia’s Lexa?”

              Clarke nodded. “That’d be the one. Octavia introduced us almost a month ago and we hit it off. Friend-wise,” she quickly added. “There’s nothing going on between us. I just… I like being around her.”

              Bellamy smirked. “Okay.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “What?”

              “Nothing,” Bellamy replied.

              Before Clarke could get him to say what he was thinking, Harper approached them with a large smile. “Clarke,” she said, happily. “I’m sooo glad you’re here.” She took back a shot and shook her head from the intensity of it.

              Clarke laughed. A drunk Harper was always entertaining. The girl forgot what personal space was and became very chatty. “I’m glad I’m here, too, Harp.”

              Harper grabbed Clarke’s hand and tugged her away from Bellamy. “I’m borrowing her,” she called over her shoulder.

              “Bring her back in one piece,” Bellamy said before turning his attention back to the beer pong table.

              Clarke allowed Harper to pull her through the crowd of people until they reached the other end of the house where Monty and Miller stood having a drink.

              “Clarke, hey!” Miller gave her a hug. “It’s been too long. How’s med school?”

              “Med school is…med school,” Clarke answered with a smile. “How have you been?”

              “Busy,” Miller answered, “but pretty good,” he smiled at Monty before looking back at Clarke. “It’s really great to see you.”

              Harper tucked her hand into Clarke’s back pocket and rested her chin on her shoulder as she spoke to her. “You shouldn’t disappear from our lives for so long again.”

              Monty held up his red solo cup. “To Clarke.”

              Miller and Harper joined in, holding their cups up and Clarke hated that she hadn’t kept in better contact with them. They really were great people.

 

 

              Lexa entered the house with Anya and Lincoln, hoping Clarke was already there. Lincoln immediately spotted Octavia and made his way towards her while Anya smiled at the sight of Raven across the room. “You’ll be okay, right?”

              Lexa nodded. “Go do whatever it is you and Raven do.” Anya winked at her and walked off, leaving Lexa to survive the party on her own for now. Lexa walked further into the house and looked around. Her gaze fell on Clarke just before she was about to give up on her search but she frowned at the sight that greeted her. Some girl had her hand tucked into the back of Clarke’s jeans’ pocket and Clarke was currently laughing at something she was saying.

              Lexa’s heart flopped sadly in her chest and she took a deep breath, pushing the feelings down to be dealt with probably never. She spotted a girl walking by with a red solo cup and stopped her. “Hey, where’d you get that?”

              The beautiful brunette smiled and eyed Lexa up and down before gesturing behind her. “I’ll show you.”

              Lexa returned the smile. A distraction is just what she needed. “Thanks. I’m Lexa, by the way.”

              “Iris,” the brunette replied.

              Lexa smirked. “It’s a pleasure, Iris,” she said as they made their way into the kitchen.

             

             

              Clarke excused herself from her friends and looked around the house to see if Lexa had arrived yet. She spotted Lincoln and smiled, knowing Lexa had to be somewhere in the house. She walked around looking for her and only made it to the entryway of the kitchen before stopping at the sight of Lexa making-out with someone against the counter. She left before she was seen and tried to ignore the ache in her chest. Lexa was just a friend. She really didn’t have anything to be upset about.

              Back in the kitchen, Lexa pulled away from Iris to catch her breath and Iris moved to kiss her below her ear. “Want to get out of here?”

              Lexa took a step back. “Sorry,” she said, feeling stupid for having started something and hoped the woman wouldn’t get upset. “I’m not looking to do anything like that.”

              Iris simply smiled and kissed Lexa on the cheek. “I’ll be around if you change your mind,” she said before exiting the kitchen.

              Lexa ran a hand through her hair and let out a frustrated sigh. Before Clarke, she would’ve left with Iris, but now she couldn’t turn off her feelings for the blonde long enough to even enjoy a make-out session.  She decided to skip the alcohol that she had originally wanted and left the kitchen to rejoin the party. She spotted Clarke talking with Bellamy and made her way over to them.

              Bellamy saw the brunette and nudged Clarke to look in Lexa’s direction before he walked away to leave them alone. Clarke stood up straighter and forced a smile. “Hey, been here long?”

              Lexa shoved her hands into her pockets. “No, not long.”

              _Long enough to shove your tongue down someone’s throat._ Clarke refrained from voicing her thoughts, reminding herself that Lexa could do whatever she wanted. “Did you want a drink?”

              Lexa shook her head. “Not really feeling like one.” Honestly, Lexa just wanted to be alone somewhere with Clarke. “Do you want to step outs-,”

              “Clarke!” Harper yelled from across the room. “Get your sexy ass over here!”

              Clarke waved back to let Harper know she’d be right over before looking apologetically at Lexa. “What were you going to say?”

              Lexa shook her head. “Nothing important.”

              “You can join us,” Clarke offered.

              “You go ahead,” Lexa said, not wanting to watch the other blonde drape herself all over Clarke. “I’ll be around.” Clarke walked off and Lexa sighed. She wasn’t feeling like her usual charming self and the party now seemed like a bad idea.

              Lexa exited the house and made her way to her car, hoping her friends wouldn’t be too upset that she ditched them. She couldn’t believe she was this torn up over Clarke being with some other girl. As she started her car, she remembered why she had been avoiding relationships. Feelings suck.

 

 

              Lexa was lying on her couch lazily sketching while she listened to music. Anya and Lincoln noticed that she was gone faster than she thought they would and she had to spend ten minutes convincing them that she just wasn’t feeling well and that they should stay at the party and have fun. She hadn’t gotten a single message from Clarke and she hated how much that hurt her feelings.

              A knock sounded at the door and Lexa frowned as she set her sketchpad down. She looked through the peephole and was surprised when she saw Clarke. She ran a hand through her hair as she pulled open the door. “Clarke, what are you doing here?”

              “Anya said you ditched the party because you weren’t feeling well,” Clarke said. “I thought I’d come check in on you.”

              “You didn’t have to do that,” Lexa said, guiltily, as she stepped aside to let Clarke in. “I’m sure you were having fun.”

              Clarke entered the apartment. “I’d rather be here with you than at a party. Do you need me to get you anything?”

              Lexa was touched by Clarke’s words. “No, I think I just need to rest.”

              “Okay, I’ll let you do that,” Clarke said, dejectedly. “Um, text me if you end up needing something.”

              “You don’t have to go,” Lexa said, hating that there was awkwardness between them. She wondered if her bad mood was obvious to Clarke. “I’d actually really like you to stay.”

              “Are you sure?” Clarke asked. “I know you’re not feeling well. I don’t want to interrupt your relaxation.”

              Lexa smirked. “I might need CPR with how breathtaking you are but other than that I think I’ll be fine with you here.”

              Clarke shook her head as she moved into the living room. “It’s like you’re not even trying anymore,” she laughed.

              “Hey, that was a good one,” Lexa insisted as she watched Clarke remove her hoodie and kick off her shoes. She smiled, relieved that she had been able to break the tension.

              Clarke picked up Lexa’s sketchpad and smiled. “Is this you with warpaint on?”

              Lexa blushed. “In that dream I had about me being a leader, I looked like that.”

              Clarke smiled. “Commander Lexa. I like it.”

              “Yeah?” Lexa sat down and took the sketchpad from Clarke so she could look at the work she had created.

              “Yeah, it’s cute,” Clarke replied as she took the sketchpad back and picked up the pencil resting on the couch before sitting down.

              Lexa scoffed. “You mean badass.”

              “No, I meant cute.” Clarke flipped the page and quickly began to sketch something out. Lexa relaxed against the couch as silence took over. She watched Clarke sketch with purpose and smiled as the blonde’s tongue would peek out from between her lips every now and then as she concentrated on her task. A few strands of Clarke’s hair fell into her face and Lexa reached out to tuck them behind the blonde’s ear without even thinking about it.

              Clarke smiled as she kept her eyes on her work. “Thank you.”

              “Sure.” Lexa rested the back of her head against the couch and waited for Clarke to be done.

              “Okay,” Clarke said after a few more minutes. She handed Lexa the sketchpad. “A Sky Princess to go with your Commander.”

              Lexa looked the sketch over and laughed lightly seeing that Clarke had drawn herself. “I think they need a backstory.”

              Lexa and Clarke spent the rest of the night creating a backstory until they fell asleep on the couch. Anya entered the apartment around midnight and froze at the sight of them. Clarke’s head was on Lexa’s shoulder while Lexa’s head rested on the back of the couch; both their feet were resting on the coffee table. Chuckling to herself, Anya pulled out her phone and snapped a picture before continuing to her room.  


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

              Lexa’s eyes fluttered open as she felt movement beside her and it took a moment for her to realize that she was on her couch with Clarke, who was muttering in her sleep. Before Lexa could wake the blonde, Clarke awoke with a gasp, lifting her head from Lexa’s shoulder.

              “Hey.” Lexa placed a hand on Clarke’s back and began to rub it gently. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

              Clarke moved to sit at the edge of the couch and placed her elbows on her knees as she rubbed her hands over her face. She let out a shaky breath and remained silent for a few seconds before glancing over at Lexa. “I’m sorry.”

              “You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Lexa said as she continued rubbing circles against Clarke’s back. “Are you okay?”

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair. “It was a nightmare about the car accident. I get them all the time. I’m used to waking up like this most nights.”

              “I’ll get you some water.” Lexa got up and went into the kitchen.  

              Clarke tilted her head from side to side, wincing as she felt pain in her neck from sleeping with her head on Lexa’s shoulder for too long. She brought a hand up to the crook of her neck and massaged it while Lexa moved around in the kitchen. She picked up her phone from beside her on the couch, cursing under her breath when she realized that it was dead. She reached for Lexa’s phone on the other side of the couch and hit the home button so she could see the time. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was one in the morning.

              Lexa returned to Clarke’s side and handed her the glass of water. “Thank you,” Clarke said as she handed Lexa her phone. “I can’t believe we passed out for so long.” She gulped down the water and as she moved to set the glass on the coffee table, she noticed the sketchbook from earlier had fallen to the floor. She smiled as she picked it up. She traced her finger over the sketch Lexa had done. “Can I borrow this?”

              “You can have it if you want.”  
              Clarke carefully ripped the drawing from the book. “Thanks.” She stood up from the couch and looked down at Lexa. “I should probably head home. My phone’s dead and I’m sure Raven has been trying to contact me.”

              Lexa stood up to face Clarke. “It’s late. You should stay. I’ll let Raven know you’re here.”

              “I wouldn’t want to intrude. Besides, I rarely ever go back to sleep after a nightmare.”

              “Don’t be silly, Clarke. You’re never intruding. Stay. I’ll make you some tea. It’ll help you relax and get to sleep.”

              “If you’re sure,” Clarke said, really not wanting to overstay her welcome.  

              “I am.” She gestured down the hall. “Come on, I’ll get you something more comfortable to change in to.” Clarke followed Lexa into her room and watched as the brunette made her way to the dresser. “Are shorts and a t-shirt okay?”

              “Yeah, that’s perfect. Thank you.”

              Lexa handed the clothes over to Clarke. “You go ahead and change into those and get comfortable. I’ll go make the tea.”

              Lexa slipped out of the room and Clarke smiled at how sweet the brunette was being. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised by Lexa’s kindness but it still sometimes caught her off guard. She placed Lexa’s sketch on the dresser before she quickly changed into the gym shorts and t-shirt. She folded her own clothes and set them on the dresser before going into the kitchen where Lexa was waiting for the kettle to boil. Clarke sat down on the stool at the counter and moved her hand up to her neck where it still hurt.

              Lexa noticed the blonde wince and moved over to her. “Are you okay?”

              “Just a kink in my neck,” Clarke explained.

              Lexa moved behind her and was about to place her hands on Clarke’s shoulders but froze right before making contact. “I could help. Is that okay?”

              Clarke smiled. “Go ahead.” Lexa began to massage Clarke’s shoulders and Clarke didn’t even try to keep in the moan that escaped her. Lexa continued her actions, pressing her fingers in just the right spot, earning another satisfied moan. “Mm, that feels so nice. Can you do it harder?”

              Lexa’s mouth went dry and she didn’t trust herself to speak so she simply did as Clarke asked. She tried to keep her thoughts pure but she couldn’t help but think how she wanted to make Clarke moan doing something entirely different. The kettle began to whistle and Lexa was quickly pulled from her thoughts. She went over to turn off the stove before picking up the kettle and pouring Clarke her tea. “This is a soothing tea,” she explained. “It should help you relax.” She placed the cup down in front of Clarke and the blonde smiled at her.

              “Thank you, Lexa.” She picked up the tea and went to sip it but decided it was too hot. Laughing sheepishly, she set it back down. “I’ll wait for it to cool down. You should get some sleep. I’ll be okay.”

              “Let me know if you need anything else.” Lexa wanted to stay up with Clarke but she also wanted to give the blonde her space.

              Once Lexa was gone, Clarke wondered briefly about the woman she had seen Lexa with earlier. She wanted to ask about her—she was curious about if there was anything more going on there. She heard a sound and turned her head to find Lexa walking into the living room with a pillow and a blanket.

              “Lexa, no,” Clarke said as she got up. “I’m not kicking you out of your room.”

              Lexa smiled. “It’s fine, Clarke. I’ll never mind having a gorgeous woman in my bed.”

              Clarke returned the smile but then a thought hit her. This was the perfect opportunity to ask about the party. “Speaking of gorgeous women, who were you with at the party?”

              Lexa frowned in confusion. “I wasn’t with…” Her eyes widened slightly realizing who Clarke meant. “Oh… that, um… Iris. Her name was Iris,” Lexa stammered out. “I wasn’t _with_ her, though. I just… it was something stupid. It didn’t go anywhere.”

              “Lexa, relax. I’m not judging you. You can do whatever you want.” Clarke was silently relieved that this Iris meant nothing to Lexa. “I was just curious.”

              Lexa knew she didn’t have to explain herself to Clarke but she didn’t want the blonde to think that she was involved with someone else. “I was in a bad mood and I just wanted to feel better. It turned out to be a bad idea because I didn’t really want to be with her. Anyway, you should try to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

              Clarke picked up her mug and placed a kiss on Lexa’s cheek. “Goodnight.”

              “Goodnight, Clarke,” Lexa said fighting the urge to bring her hand up to her cheek where Clarke had kissed her. She had wanted to ask about Harper, but she didn’t know how without being obvious. She let out a breath and got onto the couch, getting herself into a comfortable position. As she laid there, she couldn’t help but think about her relationship with Clarke. She enjoyed their friendship. She didn’t want to ruin it with her feelings. And Octavia did make a good point—Clarke had a lot going on. Lexa didn’t want to pile anymore onto the med student. _More time._ Lexa thought. She just needed more time to figure out her feelings before she did anything that would change things between her and Clarke.

 

 

              Anya woke the next morning and tiredly made her way towards the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. She spotted Lexa asleep on the couch and smirked before backing up until she reached the brunette’s room. She slowly opened the door and her smirk grew into a smile when she saw Clarke asleep in Lexa’s bed. She went into the kitchen and got the Keurig machine started before going into the living room. She pulled the pillow from underneath Lexa’s head before hitting her with it. “So how is it that you’re on the couch when there’s a hot blonde in your bed?”

              Lexa groaned and pushed the pillow away before glaring at Anya. “I didn’t know if she’d be comfortable with sharing a bed with me. Our friendship is still new.”

              Anya sat down on the couch across from Lexa. “So why’d you leave the party?”

              Lexa remained silent as she decided whether or not to confide in her friend, who she knew would laugh at her. Deciding it was better to tell someone than to bottle up her feelings, she revealed the truth to Anya. “I saw that Harper chick hanging all over Clarke. I got upset.”

              Anya laughed. “ _You_ got jealous? You never get jealous. What is this girl doing to you? Are you going to admit now that you have a thing for her?”

              “Will you lower your voice?” Lexa huffed. “And yes, okay? I have a thing for her.”

              Anya snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, I know. Thanks for finally admitting what I already know. And don’t worry, Harper is only a friend. No need to mope about it now.”  

              Lexa rolled her eyes as she sat up. “I don’t mope.”

              “Says the girl who left a party like twenty minutes in because she thought her crush was into someone else.”

              “Shut up,” Lexa said, hating that Anya was right. “And how do you know Harper and Clarke are only friends?”

              “I asked Raven,” Anya replied.

              At the mention of Raven, Lexa remembered that she was supposed to have texted her last night. “Shit, I was supposed to tell Raven that Clarke was spending the night.”

              Anya tossed her cell phone over to Lexa before getting up to go finish making her coffee. “She knows. Read my text messages with her.

              Lexa went to Anya’s text messages and rolled her eyes upon seeing a picture of her and Clarke asleep on the couch.

              _Raven[11:34pm]: Omg, they’re so cute.  Send this to me!_

_Anya[11:35pm]: They’re disgusting is what they are. Is Clarke into Lexa or what?_

_Raven[11:35pm]: I honestly don’t know. Clarke can be hard to read sometimes._

_Anya[11:36pm]: Okay, enough about those queer disasters. What are we doing?_

_Raven[11:38pm]: Each other… like all the time. So maybe we can make it an exclusive thing?_

              Lexa stopped reading, not wanting to pry into Anya’s relationship, not that her best friend would care. “So what are you and Raven doing?” She asked as she scrolled back to the picture Anya had taken of her and Clarke.  

              “We’re together,” Anya answered as she sipped her coffee. “She’s my girlfriend.”

              Lexa chuckled as she forwarded the picture to herself. “You with a girlfriend? This should be interesting. Congratulations.”

              Anya had never been in a serious relationship but that was only because she had high standards that no one could ever meet. Raven Reyes exceeded them. “Thanks. I’m actually really excited about where things will go.”

              Lexa heard the door to her room open and turned her head, knowing Clarke would be appearing soon. She wasn’t, however, prepared for how beautiful the blonde would look first thing in the morning with bed hair and a still tired expression on her face.

              “Morning,” Clarke said through a yawn.

              “Hey, Griffin,” Anya greeted her before heading back to her room to give the two some privacy.  

              “Did you sleep well?” Lexa asked as Clarke moved to sit beside her.

              “I did, actually. Thanks again for letting me hijack your bed. Is it cool if I get a cup of coffee? I’ll get out of your way after that.”

              “Clarke, you’re never in my way,” Lexa assured her. “I like having you around. Actually, maybe we could spend the day together. I mean, if you don’t have other plans.”

              Clarke smiled, liking that idea. “I don’t. I’m all yours. What do you have planned for me?”

              “Great, I was thinking I could give you a kickboxing lesson today. I promise if you hate it, we can do something else,” she added before Clarke could protest.

              Clarke groaned. “Fine, but then I pick what we do after that.”

              “Okay, that’s fair.” She got up from the couch. “I have a spare toothbrush and if you want to take a shower, I can give you a washcloth and a towel. And I could probably find you something decent to wear.”

              “You’re the best,” Clarke said, glad she wouldn’t have to drive back to her apartment to get ready. “And I keep spare clothes in my trunk so I’ve got that covered.”

              Lexa laughed lightly. “Why? Expecting the zombie apocalypse?”

              Clarke smiled as she slipped her shoes on. “No, it’s just in case I ever find myself spending the night with an attractive brunette.”

              Lexa quirked a brow. “Well, if you wanted our night to go a certain way, all you had to do was ask.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes as she playfully bumped Lexa with her shoulder before standing up. “I keep clothes in my trunk because of work. You wouldn’t be able to handle me, Woods,” she joked as she made her way towards the front door.

              “I don’t know, I think I’d be able to keep up,” Lexa replied, playfully.

              Clarke winked at the brunette. “I’ll be right back,” she said before stepping out of the apartment.

              As soon as the door closed, Lexa smiled to herself but then Anya’s voice broke her moment. “You two are so gross. Just kiss already. My god.”

              Lexa turned to look at her best friend. “Were you eavesdropping?”

              “Yes,” Anya replied. “What the hell was that? Friends don’t flirt like that.”

              “Our friendship is different. There’s-,”

              “Sexual tension,” Anya cut her off. “Stop being disaster and ask the girl out already. What’s the worst that could happen?”

              “She’s not interested and I ruin our amazing friendship. I’m waiting until I know for sure she’s interested,” Lexa stated. “I don’t want to mess this up, Anya. I really like her. And not just in a romantic way. Her friendship is important to me.”

              Anya sighed. “Okay, fine. I get it. But I won’t stop giving you shit about it just yet,” she said before heading to her room. She knew Lexa was just being cautious but she could practically see the chemistry flow between them whenever her best friend and Clarke were in a room together. Maybe she would have to spend more time with Clarke herself in order to figure out if the blonde was interested in Lexa.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Clarke was standing before a punching bag while Lexa stood off to the side coaching her as she struck the bag. She had been wary about working out in front of so many other people but no one was paying them any mind. She hit the bag again with her gloved fist and before she could do it again, Lexa approached her. “If you tweak your stance a bit, your punches will have more impact.” She got into a stance and glanced over at Clarke. “Like this.” She then punched the bag, turning her body in the angle she wanted Clarke to mimic. “Try that.”

              Clarke got into the stance and struck the bag before looking to Lexa with a quirked eyebrow, wondering if she had done it to her satisfaction. “Better?”

              “You’re getting there.” Lexa moved behind Clarke and placed her hands on her hips. “Turn a bit this way.” Clarke tried to remain focused on the task at hand and not the fact that Lexa was in such close proximity to her. Lexa reached down and gently touched the back of Clarke’s right leg. “Since you’re left-handed, place your right leg a little further in front of your left one. This is the southpaw stance. You want your weaker side closer to your opponent.”

              Clarke heard Lexa’s words but she didn’t really register them because the brunette had touched her on the upper part of her thigh and now her already racing heart from working out was pounding furiously in her chest.

              “Got it?” Lexa asked as she took a step back away from Clarke.

              “Maybe?” Clarke answered, not knowing what she was responding to.

              Lexa chuckled and shook her head. “Go ahead and throw your first punch and freeze in that position when your hand connects with the bag.”

              Clarke took a deep breath and brought her arms up like Lexa had shown her. She struck the bag, turning her hips like she had been told. She remained in the position while Lexa looked her over. Lexa’s eyes lingered a little too long on Clarke’s backside and she hoped the blonde didn’t notice. “That’s great. Throw a few more punches and try moving around the bag as you do it.”  
              Clarke did as she was told and Lexa smiled as she noticed Clarke having fun with it as she began to bounce around before striking the bag a few times.

              Lexa moved to hold the bag still for Clarke and smiled at the blonde. “So, think kickboxing is something you could get into?”

              Clarke punched the bag with less force as she thought it over. “Yeah, I think this is something I could enjoy doing.”

              Lexa smiled, pleased by the answer. “Great, we should come up with a schedule.”

              Clarke ran her schedule through her head. “Saturdays might be the only time I can afford to do this but we’ll see.”

              “Saturdays are perfect,” Lexa assured her. “Alright, punching is done. Let’s work on the basics of kicking.” Clarke noticed a familiar face at the front desk of the dojo and her body tensed at the sight. Lexa looked where Clarke was staring and saw a man talking to the receptionist, Monroe. “Is everything okay?”

              Clarke sighed. “That’s my ex. He doesn’t come here often does he?”

              “I’ve never seen him here before,” Lexa answered. She noticed Monroe hand over a paper and realized the man was signing up to be a member of the gym. “I can get rid of him.”

              Clarke stopped Lexa from approaching the man. “No, it’s fine. I don’t want you losing business because of me.”

              “I want this to be your place,” Lexa stated. “I want you to come here to destress without worrying about running into your ex.”

              Before Clarke could protest, Finn had spotted her and was making his way over. “Damn it,” she huffed.

              “Clarke,” Finn smiled as he approached her. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “We’re not old friends, Finn. We broke-up and it wasn’t amicable.”

              “Can’t we just… move on from that?” Finn asked. “I admit that I messed up but I’m not that guy anymore. I-,”

              “I apologize,” Lexa cut him off without sounding sorry at all. “We are in the middle of our lesson.” She pulled the sign-up paper from Finn’s hand. “And I’m sorry to say that we are no longer accepting membership applications.”

              Finn frowned. “What? You can’t stop me from coming here.”

              Lexa took a step towards the man and slightly raised her chin. “I assure you that I can. Now please leave.”

              Finn stood his ground and Clarke didn’t want Lexa getting in trouble for hurting the man so she stepped in. “Can we just talk outside?” She asked him as she removed her gloves.

              Finn smiled as if he had won something and nodded. “Sure.”

              Clarke placed her hand on Lexa’s upper arm. “I’ll be right back.” Lexa nodded and Clarke handed her the gloves before walking towards the exit with Finn following behind her. Once outside, she turned to face the man.

              “Who was that?” Finn asked. “Why was she such a-,”

              “Don’t,” Clarke cut him off. “You’re lucky I didn’t let her handle you.”

              “Clarke-,”

              “The next time you see me in public, don’t approach me,” Clarke stated. “We’re not friends. And don’t bother coming here again.”

              Finn clenched his jaw. “It’s the best gym in the state.”

              “There are other great gyms,” Clarke assured him.

              “But there’s this trainer, Lexa. I want her to train me.”

              “The brunette you just faced off with is Lexa. I have a feeling she won’t want to train you.”

              Finn’s shoulders dropped. “That’s just my luck. I lose an amazing girlfriend and now one of the best trainers.”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “You act like you weren’t the sole reason our relationship ended.”

              “I was an idiot,” Finn admitted. “I’m sorry. If you would give me a chance, I could be better.”

              “I don’t want to have anything to do with you, Finn.” Clarke couldn’t believe he was actually trying to get her back.

              “Are you seeing someone?” Finn asked. He gestured towards the gym. “Wait, you’re dating her, aren’t you?”

              Clarke meant to say no. Really, she did, but she found herself confirming Finn’s question. “Yeah, I am.”

              Finn nodded. “Okay… well, I wish you the best.”

              Clarke didn’t respond, she simply reentered the building and hoped that was the last time she would have to speak to her ex. She went over to Lexa, who was striking away at the punching bag. “Sorry about that.”

              Lexa stopped her actions and turned to look at Clarke. “Are you okay? Do I need to have a conversation with him?”

              Clarke smiled at the brunette’s protectiveness. “No, I’m fine. He won’t come back here. I, um… I kind of told him you were my girlfriend. It was the quickest way to get rid of him.”

              Lexa smirked. “There are worse lies,” she said as she removed her gloves. “So… that was the douchebag ex?”

              Clarke nodded. “That was him.”

              “He definitely didn’t seem like someone deserving of being with you,” Lexa said, hoping she wasn’t saying anything that would upset Clarke.

              “He isn’t, but he was good at pretending to be.” Clarke stepped closer to Lexa. “Thanks for…,” Clarke smiled and looked down at the floor before looking back at Lexa. “Thanks for being you. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

              Lexa returned the smile. “You’re welcome, Clarke.” She gestured to the punching bag. “Do you still want to do this?”

              Clarke bent down to pick up the boxing gloves that had been placed on the floor. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

 

 

 

              After their time in Grounders, Lexa and Clarke found themselves in an art store. Clarke didn’t have art supplies and she had the urge to paint again so Lexa had suggested the store.

              “Do you paint at all?” Clarke asked as she placed paintbrushes in her cart.

              “I don’t,” Lexa replied. “I probably wouldn’t be any good at it.”

              Clarke looked behind her at Lexa, who was behind her picking up everything she walked by to examine it before putting it back. “Maybe I can give you a lesson.”

              Lexa smirked. “I wouldn’t object.” She moved so that she was now walking side by side with Clarke. “So what’s got you back into art?”

              _You._ “Our Commander and Sky Girl sketches—they really inspired me. And with my board exams complete, I’m less stressed for a few weeks. Clinicals start, though, and I’ll barely have time to do anything. I’ll have to drop to part-time at work and my schedule will be hectic.” Clarke sighed. “I might not even be able to keep up with kickboxing and-,”

              “Hey,” Lexa said, gently. “Breathe. You’re starting to stress yourself out already.”

              Clarke let out a breath. “I’m just not looking forward to clinical rotations. I barely sleep as it is.”

              “Maybe you should do something you get excited about.” Lexa gestured around her at the supplies. “Like art.”

              “Art is a dream,” Clarke replied. “Being a doctor is reality.”

              “If you believed that, you wouldn’t have wasted your time with a double major,” Lexa pointed out.

              “I want to be a doctor,” Clarke insisted but there wasn’t much passion behind her words. “I think I’ve got everything I need,” she said as she glanced into her cart. “Can we go back to your place? I really want to paint.”

              Lexa smiled. “Whatever you want.”

              When they reached the register and it was time to pay, Lexa swiped her card before Clarke realized what she was doing. “Lexa,” Clarke protested. “I can pay for this.”

              “You’re a starving med student,” Lexa stated as she did what the keypad prompted.

              “I’m not a starving med student, Lexa,” Clarke assured her. “I can afford to buy this stuff.”

              “I want to do something nice for you.”

              “You do something nice for me all the time,” Clarke said as she reached for the bag the cashier was holding out.

              Lexa took the bag from the cashier before Clarke could get it. “Well then let me continue doing it.”

              Clarke relented as she followed Lexa towards the door. “Thank you. I’ll pay for lunch or something.”

              Lexa smirked as she held the door open for Clarke. “After you, m’lady.” Clarke smiled as she exited the store, ignoring how her heart fluttered in her chest at the sweet gesture.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Lexa was lying on her couch reading a book—well, alternating between reading and staring at Clarke while the blonde painted. They had been like this for an hour and were content. Anya had left a few minutes after they arrived to go hangout with Raven, Octavia and Lincoln. She had invited them but Clarke really wanted to paint and Lexa just wanted to be near Clarke.

              Lexa lowered her book and watched as Clarke’s tongue snaked out the corner of her mouth as she focused on getting her painting right. She had been given an old t-shirt and sweatpants to paint in and Lexa had to admit seeing Clarke in her clothes was something she enjoyed.

              Clarke glanced away from the easel that she was surprised to learn that Lexa owned when she had tried her hand at painting. The brunette stated she was much better with lines than smudges and stains so she would stick to paper and pencil. Clarke’s gaze fell onto Lexa and the two made eye contact. Lexa didn’t break her gaze at being caught staring and Clarke quirked a brow. “You’re distracting me,” she huffed.

              Lexa smiled in amusement. “I haven’t made a sound.”

              Clarke playfully narrowed her eyes at the brunette, knowing Lexa knew what she was referring to. “You’re staring.”

              “It’s just really nice to see you in your element,” Lexa said, simply. “I don’t know how it’s possible but you’re even more attractive this way.”

              Clarke’s cheeks became tinged with redness at the compliment. “Thanks,” she said, softly as her eyes went back to the painting. “I feel good. This… this is amazing. I didn’t think I’d ever get to this place again, you know? I thought art was over for me.”

              “Well I’m glad it isn’t,” Lexa said before returning her attention to her book.

              Clarke stared at her for a beat before continuing her painting. They were silent again for another half hour before Lexa shifting on the couch broke Clarke’s concentration.

              “May I take a look at your progress?” Lexa asked as she sat on the edge of the couch.

              Clarke bit her bottom lip as she looked at the painting and then back at Lexa. “Not yet.”

              “Will you at least take a break?” Lexa asked, knowing the blonde had to be hungry by now.

              “Not yet,” Clarke said again before stroking her paintbrush against the canvas, focusing once more. Lexa smiled faintly as she grabbed her sketchbook from the coffee table and laid back down on the couch.

 

 

              Lexa’s eyes fluttered open and she blinked several times before realizing she had fallen asleep. She reached for her sketchbook, which she thought would be on her chest but it wasn’t there. She spotted it resting on the coffee table and looked over to where the easel was and noticed that Clarke wasn’t there anymore.

              “Hey,” A voice said from in the kitchen. “I’ve got lunch here when you’re ready.” Lexa looked into the kitchen and saw Clarke at the counter. “A sandwich is good, right?” The blonde asked. “I thought it was the safest thing since I’m a disaster in the kitchen.” She gestured to the bowl on the table. “I put some fruit together, too. I wasn’t sure what you’d want.”

              Lexa stood up and stretched, causing her shirt to rise up and Clarke didn’t let the action go wasted as her eyes lingered on the bit of exposed skin. “A sandwich and fruit is perfect. Thank you, Clarke. Sorry I fell asleep.”

              Clarke smiled. “It’s fine. It gave me a chance to do something nice for you without you refusing to let me.”

              Lexa chuckled. “Well it’s appreciated.” She gathered the two plates and moved into the kitchen with them while Clarke grabbed the fruit bowl. “Is your painting done?”

              “No, but I love what I’ve done so far,” Clarke answered as she set the bowl on the coffee table before going back into the kitchen to get their drinks.

              “Will I be allowed to see it?” Lexa asked.

              Clarke reentered the living room and set the glasses down on the table. “Of course. After we eat. Thanks for letting me hangout here and paint. I know this isn’t what you had in mind when you said we should hangout.”

              Lexa smiled. “I wanted to do whatever made you happy, Clarke.”

              And there went Clarke’s heart, tripping over itself at Lexa’s words. “Well, you’re really good at that—doing things that make me happy.” Clarke cleared her throat and stood up, not wanting to do or say anything else that would make things awkward between them. “How about I show you that painting now?”

              Lexa wanted to grasp onto the moment they were so obviously about to have but instead, she set her plate down and stood up. “Ready when you are.”

              Clarke took a deep breath and made her way over to the easel. She looked over the painting and smiled. She couldn’t even pretend to be modest. She had done an amazing job so far. She gestured for Lexa to come over to stand beside her.

              Lexa moved to stand with Clarke and her eyes widened immediately upon seeing what the blonde had created. “Clarke,” she whispered in awe. It was her. Well… Commander Lexa. Clarke had obviously used the sketch she had done as inspiration to create a more detailed image. Commander Lexa had warpaint on and was donning lightweight armor—a long black leather coat with a plate of armor on her shoulder that had a red sash flowing down from it. She even had a forehead symbol that resembled a gear. “Are those three belts holding that into place?” She asked gesturing to the metal piece of armor around her stomach. “And the spaulder… is that a tire?”

              Clarke laughed. “Yeah, they just came to me. It’s a post-apocalyptic world. Had to get creative. And you know the difference between a spaulder and a pauldron?”

              “I might be a bit of a medieval nerd,” Lexa admitted.

              Clarke smirked. “It’s attractive.”

              Lexa blushed lightly as she continued to admire the painting. Commander Lexa was outside holding a sword, ready to attack.

              “She’s a protector,” Clarke explained. “She wants the best for her people. Like how you want the best for your friends and would protect them from asshole exes.”

              Lexa turned to face Clarke. “It’s amazing. _You’re_ amazing. I absolutely love it, Clarke. Thank you.”

              “You’re welcome.” Clarke glanced at the painting before looking back at Lexa. “I have so many more ideas,” she said, excitedly. She hadn’t been this enthusiastic about painting in a long time. “Remember how we talked about grounders and sky people? Well, I want to paint Octavia, Lincoln and Anya as grounders and Raven would be a sky person with me. And then I have so many styles for you as Commander. I can’t wait to get started on all of them.”

              Lexa simply stared at Clarke. The blonde was being so passionate about art and it was amazing to see. Lexa had never seen Clarke’s eyes so bright and happy before.

              “Sorry,” Clarke said, sheepishly. “I’m rambling.”

              Lexa was sure her brain faltered somewhere between thinking and doing, because before she could stop herself she had brought her hand up to the back of Clarke’s neck and was leaning in for a kiss. When she felt the soft press of lips against her own, her heart thudded in her chest at a rapid rate. She was about to pull back and apologize profusely but then she felt Clarke’s lips moving against her own.

              Clarke placed her hand on Lexa’s lower back as she returned the gentle kiss. Lexa didn’t shove her tongue in her throat or try to deepen the kiss in anyway. She simply let their lips move together and it was the best kiss Clarke had ever experienced. Hesitant and gentle.

              The sound of keys could be heard outside the door along with muffled talking and Lexa pulled away from Clarke, taking a step back. “Sorry,” she said, quickly. “I- I shouldn’t have done that.”

              The front door opened and Anya stepped inside with Octavia, Raven and Lincoln. “Hey, losers,” Anya greeted them as she tossed her keys onto the coffee table. “We decided since you want to hole up here, we’d join you.”

              Raven saw the easel and then looked at Clarke, who had paint stained hands. “You’re painting?” She asked, surprised.

              Clarke broke her eyes away from Lexa and turned to face her friend. “Yeah, I was feeling inspired.” Clarke forced a smile as her brain worked in overdrive. Did Lexa really not mean for the kiss to happen? Had she just been caught up in the moment?

              Octavia moved to look at the painting. “Clarke this is awesome.”

              “It’s not finished,” Clarke said, simply. Her mind was still on the kiss. Lexa had moved away from her and was refusing to make eye contact. “Um, I should go wash up. I’ll be right back,” she said before heading to the bathroom.

              Raven smiled happily as she stood beside Octavia. “She’s painting.”

              “Looks like she’s got herself a muse,” Octavia said before glancing at Lexa, who was currently talking to Anya and Lincoln.

              “You can’t tell me she’s not good for Clarke,” Raven whispered.

              Octavia sighed. “I can admit she’s a good friend for her,” she whispered back. “Anything more than that is up for discussion.”

              Raven rolled her eyes. “Enough discussion—they just need to bang already.”

              Anya narrowed her eyes at Lexa as she noticed the brunette obviously thinking too hard. “What’s wrong?”

              Lexa shook her head. “Not now, Anya.”

              Lincoln frowned. “Is this bad timing? We can go if you need space.”

              “No, everything’s fine. You guys are fine.” Lexa ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll be right back.” She headed down the hall and knocked on the bathroom door.

              When it opened, she stepped inside and closed it back as Clarke moved to lean against the sink. “I’m sorry,” Lexa said. “I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean for that to happen.” Lexa knew she had crossed a line and she desperately wanted to fix it so her friendship with Clarke could stay intact.

              Clarke wanted to tell Lexa that her feelings for her ran deeper than just friendship but from how the brunette was reacting to the kiss, she could tell it would be a bad idea. “It’s fine, Lexa. We can forget it happened.”

              “You’re not upset?” Lexa asked.

              Clarke shook her head. “Like you said, we just got caught up in the moment. There’s no reason things have to be awkward between us.”

              “I’m so glad to hear that,” Lexa said, relieved. “And again, I’m sorry.”

              “It’s okay,” Clarke said. “We’re okay. You should go join the others. I’ll be out soon.”

              Lexa nodded and exited the bathroom. She wanted to be happy that Clarke wasn’t upset with her but she knew her actions had changed altered their friendship and things wouldn’t in fact be the same between them.  

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

              Two hours had passed and Lexa had thought about the kiss every second of it. She hadn’t spoken to Clarke much since their conversation in the bathroom and she hoped it was because her friends were preoccupying her time and not because the blonde was avoiding her. No one else seemed to notice the shift between the two and she was glad for that at least.

              Clarke glanced over at Lexa as she spoke to Lincoln and noticed the brunette was keeping to herself, barely acknowledging the conversations going on around her. She knew it had to do with their kiss and wondered if Lexa was afraid that she would read too much into it. Clarke did want it to mean more than just a spur of the moment thing but she wouldn’t risk her friendship with Lexa by telling her that.

              “We’re doing double date thing next weekend,” Lincoln said. “You can join us if you want.”

              Clarke quirked a brow at the man. “And be the awkward fifth wheel? No thanks.”

              “Lexa can join us,” Anya said. “Problem solved.”

              Lexa fought the urge to narrow her eyes at her meddling best friend. “I’ll pass.”

              Clarke tried to ignore the pang in her chest at Lexa’s quick rejection of spending time with her on what would’ve kind of been a date. “I’ll probably be busy anyway. Maybe next time.”

              A knock sounded at the door and Anya frowned, unsure of who it could be. “Expecting someone?” She asked Lexa.

              “No, but I’ll get it.” Lexa stood up, happy to have a reason to leave the living room. She opened the door and was surprised to see Anya’s friend, Niylah. “Niylah, hi.”

              “Hey, Lexa. Sorry to just drop by like this. Is Anya here?”

              “She is,” Lexa stepped aside to let the blonde in. “Anya, it’s for you.”

              “Niylah,” Anya greeted as she stood up from the couch. “Please tell me you have it.”

              Niylah smiled as she held up Anya’s laptop. “My dad got it all fixed for you.”

              “You’re the best,” Anya said as she took her laptop. “Are you in a rush to get anywhere? You should hang with us.”

              Niylah glanced around at Anya’s friends and smiled when her eyes fell on Clarke. “You definitely surround yourself with beautiful women.”

              Anya grinned. “Can’t argue there.”

              Lexa listened as Anya introduced Raven, Octavia and Clarke to Niylah and rolled her eyes when the woman gripped Clarke’s hand a little longer than necessary. As everyone sat down to engage in conversation once again, Lexa found herself irritated by Niylah flirting with Clarke. It made her feel a bit better that Clarke wasn’t flirting back. Deciding she wasn’t in the mood for company, Lexa got up and headed to her room without a word.

              Anya noticed and excused herself before getting up and following Lexa to her room. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

              “Nothing,” Lexa said as she laid down on her bed.

              “Then why’d you leave?” Anya asked.

              “I have a headache.” Lexa closed her eyes.

              “It’s probably self-induced with all the eye rolling you were doing whenever Niylah said anything. I thought you liked her.” When Lexa didn’t respond, Anya shook her head. “Obviously you’re upset because of Niylah’s obvious interest in Clarke. Make a move before she does if you’re so worried about it.”

              “We kissed,” Lexa admitted.

              Anya frowned. “You and Niylah?”

              “No,” Lexa huffed. “I kissed Clarke and… god, Anya, it was so good. I think I freaked her out, though. I told her it was a spur of the moment thing and that it didn’t mean anything… but it wasn’t.”

              “Then why’d you tell her it was?” Anya asked, not understanding why people made these things so complicated.

              “I was trying to do damage control,” Lexa replied. “You know what? I don’t want to talk about this with you.”

              Anya rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She stepped out of the room. “Clarke!”

              Lexa sat up with wide eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”

              “Bringing in the person you should be talking to about this,” Anya replied.

              Clarke appeared at the door. “What’s up?”

              Anya gestured to Lexa. “You deal with that,” she said before walking away.

              Clarke furrowed her brows as she entered the room. “Hey,” she said, gently, as she closed the door. “What’s going on?”

              “Nothing,” Lexa replied, unconvincingly. “Anya’s just being… Anya.”

              Clarke closed the room door and moved to sit on Lexa’s bed. “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

              Lexa shrugged. “It’s fine. Just go hangout with everyone. I’m not in the mood.” Clarke laid down beside Lexa and looked up at the ceiling, remaining quiet. Lexa frowned and turned her head to look at the blonde. “What are you doing?”

              “I’m not going to leave you here upset,” Clarke answered. “I’ll just lay here with you until you’re feeling better.”

              Lexa didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes but then let out a breath before finally speaking. “Things already feel different between us and I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

              Clarke turned onto her side, using her hand to prop her head up. “You’re not losing me. The kiss hasn’t changed anything. We’re still friends. I’m not going to avoid you and things don’t have to be weird between us.”

              “Do you mean that?” Lexa asked.

              “I do,” Clarke promised. “We kissed. It was just a stupid thing that happened. We don’t have to make a big deal out of it.”

              Lexa’s heart ached at Clarke’s choice of words. “Yep, just a stupid thing,” she repeated.

              “So we’re in agreeance,” Clarke said as she got up. “We can just forget it happened.” She held out her hand for Lexa to take and wiggled her fingers. “Come on, let’s join the others.”

              Lexa placed her hand in Clarke’s and allowed the blonde to pull her up from the bed. Hopefully, things really would just go back to normal.

 

 

 

              Clarke was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at the painting she had started that morning and thinking of what more she wanted to add to it when there was a knock at the door. “Yeah?”

              Raven opened the door and entered the room. She made her way to Clarke’s bed and plopped down on it. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

              “Just work and I’m free after that,” Clarke answered. “Did you want to do something?”

              Raven gestured to her leg. “It’s being stupid so I have an appointment with your mom tomorrow. She’s thinking I’ll need another surgery. I was hoping you’d be able to stop by while I’m going through the tests.”         

              “I can work something out,” Clarke assured her. “Has it been hurting?”

              Raven nodded. “The other night was embarrassing when I was with Anya and it started hurting while we were going at it.”

              “Why didn’t you say anything before?” Clarke replied.

              “I’m just so sick of dealing with it,” Raven admitted.

              “Was Anya understanding?” Clarke asked. “Because if she wasn’t, I’ll-,”

              “Relax, Octavia two-point-O,” Raven chuckled. “She was really sweet about it. She even massaged my leg.” Raven sighed. “Your mom wants to do an experimental surgery; add rods and whatnot.”

              “Is that something you want to do?” Clarke asked as she moved further onto her bed to cuddle with her best friend.

              “I’ll try it,” Raven answered. “Anything’s better than the pain I’m dealing with now.”

              “You know I’m always here for you, right?” Clarke asked.

              “I know. Thanks,” Raven smiled. “Anyway… want to tell me what was going on today between you and Lexa?”

              “What?” Clarke feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

              “Bullshit,” Raven laughed. “You two were being weird. Did you have sex or something?”

              Clarke sighed. “She kissed me and then apologized right after. She said she got caught up in the moment. Basically it didn’t mean anything to her and I’m kind of devastated about it— okay, _really_ devastated about it, but she’s a good friend so I’m just going to leave it alone.”

              “Even though I think you two would be cute together, if she’s not feeling the same way you are, you should think about going on a date. You know, testing the waters and seeing if you’re ready to get back out there.”

              Clarke groaned. “I don’t know. The whole dating process isn’t something I want to do. Lexa would’ve been different. We have this amazing connection and we just click so well.”

              “Sounds like you’ve got it bad. I could ask Anya-,”

              “No,” Clarke said, quickly. “I don’t want word getting back to Lexa. I’ll deal with whatever this is until it passes.”

              “I don’t think feelings work like that,” Raven stated.

              Clarke sighed. “I know. It’s just the only solution I have right now.” She hoped the next few days would show her that her friendship with Lexa hadn’t been ruined by the events that took place that morning.

 

 

 

A few days later…

              Abby opened her daughter’s fridge and scoffed at the sight of it. “Clarke, you and Raven have an empty fridge. You need to be better about that. If you need money to stock it, you know I’ll give it to you.”

              “No, Mom, it’s fine. We’ve just been eating out a lot,” Clarke replied.

              “Your clinicals start soon,” Abby pointed out as she turned to face her daughter. “You’ll have to work less hours as a scribe so you can focus on doing well. I’d rather you just quit, honestly.”

              Clarke leaned against the counter and sighed. “Mom, I’ll figure something out but I’m not quitting.”

              Abby realized that she was being a tad overbearing. “Okay, it’s whatever you want. Just let me know if you need anything. And we should do this again. Today was fun.”

              Clarke smiled. “It was,” she agreed. After work, they had gone out to dinner to do more catching up and she had actually enjoyed being with her mother. There really was a chance for them to reconcile and move forward.

              There was a knock at the door and Clarke made her way over to it. She looked through the peephole and smiled when she saw Lexa. She pulled the door open and stepped to the side to let her in. “Hey, I’m running a little late.”

              Lexa smirked as she stepped into the apartment with a Bath and Body Works bag in her hand. “Can you really run late for a Netflix binge-watching night in your own apartment?”

              “I just got home not too long ago and I still want to take a shower,” Clarke said, apologetically.

              “Work wasn’t too stressful was it?” Lexa asked.

              “Not today, no,” Clarke replied.

              Lexa held her bag out to Clarke. “Well, here. Anya made me go shopping with her because she wanted to get some stuff for Raven. I saw these and thought you might like them.”

              Clarke took the bag and peered inside. It contained stress relief lotion, oils and body wash. “This was sweet of you. I could definitely use it.”

              “There’s stuff in there to help you sleep better, too,” Lexa added. “I’m not sure if it’ll actually work but I figured you could give it a shot. And if you need help with those oils, I’m more than willing to help apply them.”

              Clarke laughed and shook her head. Her relationship with Lexa had gone back to normal and she had been relieved about it. Now the two acted like the kiss never occurred. “I think I can manage but I’ll keep that in mind.”

              “Please do,” Lexa joked.

              A voice cleared from in the kitchen and Clarke remembered that her mother was in her apartment. “Oh, Lexa,” she gestured to Abby, “this is my mom. You remember her, right?”

              Lexa gave a small wave as she tried not to blush too much. “Doctor Griffin.”

              “Lexa, right?” Abby asked, moving closer to Lexa and Clarke.

              “That is correct,” Lexa said. “That whole oil thing was a joke, by the way.”

              Abby looked skeptical about that as she looked to Clarke. “You didn’t tell me you were dating.”

              “I’m not.” She gestured between herself and Lexa. “We’re just friends. Anyway, um, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

              “Okay, have a goodnight, sweetie.” She hugged her daughter before looking at Lexa with what Lexa could only describe as a warning glare. “Goodnight, Lexa. Enjoy your night… but not too much.”

              “Minimal enjoyment will be had,” Lexa replied. “Goodnight, Doctor Griffin.”

              Clarke bumped her shoulder to Lexa’s. “You don’t have to be so formal.”

              “No, formal’s good,” Abby said before making her way to the door.

              Clarke looked at Lexa. “I’m going to walk her outside. I’ll be right back.” She handed Lexa the bag she had given her before making her way outside with her mother. “You don’t need to treat her like you did with all my past significant others. We’re just friends.”

              Abby quirked a brow. “What kind of friends?”

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “ _Just_ friends.”

              “Okay,” Abby said, relenting. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

              Clarke returned to her apartment and found Lexa sitting on her couch looking through the newest sketchbook she had started drawing in. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you going through someone’s sketchbook is like reading their diary?”

              “Sorry,” Lexa said, guiltily as she closed the book. “I just get really excited about seeing your stuff.”

              Clarke smiled and sat down beside the brunette. “It’s cool.” She opened the sketchbook back up and flipped through a few pages before handing it back to Lexa. “This is nighttime Commander.”

              Lexa looked at the sketch Clarke had done of Commander Lexa in a long black nightgown.

              “I wanted to add your back tattoo but I’ve only seen it once and couldn’t remember the details,” Clarke explained.

              “I could show it to you so you could draw it for future reference,” Lexa offered.

              Clarke’s phone buzzed and she picked it up from the coffee table. “I would actually love to do that,” she said to Lexa. “Give me one second.” She read the message on her phone and smiled. “It’s Niylah. She wants to hangout tomorrow.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes at hearing the name. “I didn’t realize you two had become friends.”

              “She’s nice,” Clarke replied before setting her phone back down. “Okay, so about that back tattoo—are you cool with taking your shirt off?”

              Lexa smirked, pushing her jealousy to the side. “That’s the slyest way anyone’s tried to get me undressed.”

              Clarke playfully pushed Lexa. “I meant so that I can see your tattoo. I thought you were offering to let me draw it.”

              Lexa waved her phone. “I was going to send it to you.”

              Clarke blushed. “Right, sorry. I guess that would work, too.”

              Lexa set her phone down and stood up. “If it’s better for you to see it up close, then I don’t mind.” She began to unbutton her plaid shirt and Clarke found herself watching intently. Lexa tossed her shirt on the couch and pulled off her tank top. Clarke’s eyes fell to Lexa’s taut stomach and she had to contain the sound of approval she wanted to let out. “How do you want me?”         

              Clarke was snapped out of her thoughts and she looked at Lexa in confusion. “What?”

              “Do you want me to sit somewhere specific or lay down?” Lexa clarified.

              “Oh, um.” Clarke retrieved a stool from the kitchen and sat it down in the living room. “Here you go.” If Lexa was going to be half-naked in her apartment, Clarke wanted to sketch more than just her tattoo. “Can I paint you? I mean, if you don’t mind posing for a while.”

              Lexa sat down on the stool with her back facing Clarke. “Go for it.”

              Clarke smiled, happily and rushed to her room to get her supplies. Once all set up, she looked over at Lexa. “I’m ready when you are.”

              Lexa reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra before tossing it onto the couch. She gathered her hair away from her back and let it rest over her shoulder so that Clarke would be able to see her tattoo.

              Clarke bit her bottom lip and she stared at Lexa’s bare back for a few seconds before she remembered she was supposed to be doing something. “Can you turn your head to the side a bit?” Lexa did as she was told and Clarke thanked her. “Are you comfortable?”

              “I’m fine for now. Go ahead and work your magic. Make sure you’re getting my good side.”

              Clarke chuckled. “You don’t have a bad side.”

              “No?” Lexa asked, amused.

              “Definitely not,” Clarke assured her.

              Clarke began to paint the gorgeous brunette before her, feeling happier than she had in a long time because art was her true passion and nothing relaxed her more than getting lost in her work; especially when her inspiration came in the form of a beautiful martial arts instructor.  

             


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Clarke looked over her painting and almost hated that she was done because there would be no need Lexa to be shirtless. “Okay,” she said as she set down her paintbrush. “I’m done.” She smiled as Lexa’s body relaxed from the posture she had been in. “I told you like five times you could have a break.”

              Lexa got up from the stool and reached for her bra. “I didn’t want to interrupt you.” She put her bra on and then reached for her tank top before moving over to Clarke. “Can I see it?”

              Clarke’s gaze fell to Lexa’s chest before she forced herself to look back at the painting. “Of course.”

              Lexa stood beside Clarke and when she looked at the painting, she was stunned at how beautiful it was. “You make me look so… wow.”

              Clarke smiled. “I just paint what I see.”

              “You could really make a career out of this, you know? You’re really great at it, Clarke.”

              Clarke swore the way Lexa pronounced her name would be the death of her. “Thanks. It sucks that I won’t have much time after my break is over. This has been fun to do, though. Thanks for being my muse.”

              Lexa pulled her tank top on and smiled at Clarke. “I’m your muse?”

              Clarke nodded. “Commander Lexa is very fun to draw.”

              “We should do a comic,” Lexa suggested. “That’d be fun to tell the story of the Commander and her Sky Girl, right?”

              Clarke quirked a brow. “I think Clarke’s her own person and doesn’t belong to anyone.”  
              “I didn’t mean it in a possessive way,” Lexa assured the blonde. “I’m just sure the Commander would definitely fall for Clarke. She’s pretty amazing.”

              Clarke smiled and bit her bottom lip as she tried not to read too much into what Lexa had said. She was talking about their made up personas—not them in reality. She got up from her stool and ran a hand through her hair. “I know we were supposed to watch a movie. Did you still want to do that? Or we could have a drink or two and play a game.”

              Lexa smirked as she moved to put the stool back in the kitchen. “What kind of game? Spin the bottle? You know you don’t have to play that game to get me to kiss you,” she joked.

              “I’m well aware,” Clarke shot back, laughing when Lexa blushed and looked down at the stool as if it was the most interesting thing in the apartment. Clarke moved over to the TV and opened the cabinet that it rested on. “Raven has a PS4. Do you want to play?”

              Lexa shrugged. “Sure, why not? I’ll grab the drinks. Are you in the mood for anything specific?”

              “A rum and coke sounds delicious,” Clarke replied. “Can you mix that?”

              Lexa scoffed. “A rum and coke? I think I can manage mixing the two.” Clarke grinned and went about setting up the game while Lexa went to work getting the drinks together. Once done, Lexa sat down beside Clarke and handed over her drink.   

              Clarke sipped the beverage and made a face before sticking out her tongue. “God, Lexa. Is there any coke in this?”

              “That’s how it’s supposed to taste,” Lexa stated.

              Clarke sipped the drink again and shook her head. “I think you’re trying to get me drunk. Let me taste yours.” Lexa handed her glass over and laughed when Clarke sipped it and cringed. “I’m mixing the drinks next time,” she said before setting both glasses on the coffee table. She handed a controller over to Lexa and relaxed back on the couch as they started their game.

              After multiple losses and a second rum and coke, Lexa was bordering on frustration and tipsy. “This game is stupid,” Lexa frowned.

              Clarke rolled her eyes with an amused smile. “You’re only saying that because you keep losing.”

              “Any kindhearted person would’ve let me win at least once,” Lexa stated.

              “Definitely not happening,” Clarke laughed. “You’ve got to earn your win.”

              “If this was real life, I would’ve won.”

              “But it’s not real life and you lost… several times. You shouldn’t be such a sore loser.”

              Lexa playfully narrowed her eyes at the blonde. “Mockery isn’t the product of a strong mind, Clarke.”

              Clarke laughed once more. “You really are such a sore loser. It’s cute.”

              “I am not,” Lexa protested. “Take that back.”

              Clarke shook her head. “I stand by my statement.” Lexa reached out and poked Clarke in the side causing the blonde to swat her hand away from her ticklish side. Lexa quirked a brow and smiled mischievously and Clarke knew what that look meant. “Don’t you dare,” she warned as she scooted away from the brunette.

              Lexa reached out to tickle Clarke but the blonde jumped up and hurried away from her. Lexa got up and began to chase younger girl around. She jumped over the couch to cut Clarke off as she ran and wrapped her arms around Clarke’s waist before carefully lowering her to the floor. “Are you going to take it back?” She asked as she straddled her friend.

              “No way!” Clarke said through laughter as Lexa’s fingers tickled her sides. “You, Lexa Woods, are a sore loser.”

              Lexa stopped tickling Clarke and sighed. “Fine, you’re right.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not used to it.”

              “Losing every once in a while builds character… and your pouty face is adorable.”

              Lexa scoffed. “I do not pout.”

              “Except when you do. And you’ll have to get used to losing because I like winning.”

              “I guess we should never be in competition.”

              “Or we should always be on the same side,” Clarke suggested.         

              “That is a reasonable solution.” Lexa moved to get up but Clarke’s hands were suddenly on her hips, keeping her still.

              Clarke wasn’t sure what she was doing. She blamed it on the alcohol running through her, clouding her better judgement. Her fingers slipped under the hem of Lexa’s shirt and her eyes met Lexa’s unsure ones.

              “Clarke,” Lexa began but the sound of the front door opening broke the moment and the brunette quickly stood up as Raven and Octavia entered the apartment.

              Raven grinned and looked from Lexa to Clarke who was now standing up. “Are we interrupting something?”

              “Only Clarke’s torture,” Lexa replied, casually.

              “She found the ticklish spot on my sides,” Clarke clarified.

              Octavia looked at Lexa with a slight glare before moving over to Clarke. “I can’t stay but I wanted to at least say goodnight.” She hugged her friend and frowned when she noticed the painting the blonde had done. “That’s quite the painting.”

              Clarke pulled away and glanced at her work with a shy smile. “Lexa modeled for me. I wanted to capture her back tattoo.”

              Raven’s eyes widened. “That’s a pretty awesome looking tattoo.”

              Lexa smiled. “Thanks.”

              Octavia gestured to the front door. “I better get going.” She glanced over at Lexa. “Lexa, why don’t you walk me to my car?”

              “Sure,” Lexa replied, knowing Octavia was about to give her grief. She grabbed her plaid shirt from the couch and slipped it on as she exited the apartment with Octavia. Once they were out of the building at Octavia’s car, Lexa began talking. “I know, okay? You don’t like how close I’m getting to Clarke because you think I’m some type of whore.”

              “Okay, hold on.” Octavia held up a hand. “I don’t think you’re a whore. I just don’t want you starting something with my best friend if you’re not serious about it. I don’t want you playing games when it comes to her feelings.”

              “I’m not playing games,” Lexa promised the brunette. “Look, Octavia, I don’t want to ruin our friendship but I like Clarke. A lot. I’ve tried to ignore my feelings but-,” Lexa shrugged. “I can’t. Clarke is really amazing. She makes me laugh, she’s smart and I can hold a conversation with her about anything. She’s perfect and she’s beautiful. I can’t help but be into her. You don’t have to worry, though. We’re just friends and that’s not likely to change. Just please don’t think I’d ever hurt her or use her in anyway. I know we’ve only been friends for a little over a month but Clarke is one of my best friends.”

              Octavia wasn’t expecting any of that. Honestly, she was at a loss for words now at Lexa’s confession of her feelings. She knew that having Lexa in her life had changed Clarke for the better and it would be stupid for her to not acknowledge that and appreciate what Lexa had done for her best friend. “If that’s how you feel, then maybe you should tell Clarke.” Octavia pointed a finger at Lexa. “But don’t fuck things up.”

              Lexa watched as Octavia opened the car door and got inside. “Wait, are you fine with me asking Clarke out?”

              “You’re good for her,” Octavia admitted. “I’m… I’m sorry I was an ass before. I introduced her to Finn and that turned into a wreck. I didn’t want to bring someone new into her life and have the cycle repeat itself.”

              Lexa nodded in understanding. “I can respect that. Like I said, though, we’re just friends right now. We’ll see what happens. Goodnight, Octavia.”

              “Night, Lexa. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

              Lexa headed back towards the apartment feeling a bit lighter after her conversation with Octavia but there was still the part where she actually had to tell Clarke her feelings. When she entered the apartment once more, she locked the door and saw Clarke in the kitchen washing the glasses they had used. “Hey, are you cool with me hanging around for a bit? I’m still feeling that rum and coke.”

              Clarke picked up a dishtowel and dried her hands off. “You should just spend the night. We can share my bed. My couch isn’t as comfortable as yours.” She tossed the dishtowel onto the counter and grabbed Lexa’s hand, tugging her along. “I’ll give you something to sleep in.”

              Sharing a bed with Clarke? That wasn’t something they had done yet and Lexa was feeling a bit nervous. What if she slept weird or took up Clarke’s space? This was going to be an interesting night.

 

 

 

              Lexa’s eyes fluttered open and she was relieved to see that she had stayed on her side of the bed. She looked at Clarke and smiled as the blonde slept peacefully. She reluctantly got up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen where she spotted Raven at the counter, reading something on her phone as she sipped a cup of coffee. “Morning.”

              Raven set her phone down and looked at Lexa. “Hey, want a cup of coffee?”

              Lexa shook her head. “I’ll just grab some water.” She went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle. “I just realized I don’t know what you do for a living.”

              “I’m the youngest aerospace engineer,” Raven said.

              “Seriously? That’s awesome,” Lexa said, impressed.

              “Yeah, I’m pretty amazing,” Raven grinned. “But on to more important things— you spent the night.”

              “Not... not like _that_ , but yeah,” Lexa replied.

              Raven grinned. “Did you want it to be like that?”

              Lexa’s eyes widened slightly. “What?”

              Raven rolled her eyes. “You have a thing for Clarke, right? I’m not an idiot. The sexual tension slaps me in the face whenever I get near you two.”

              Lexa shook her head. “There’s no sexual tension. I mean…” Lexa sighed. “I do like Clarke as more than a friend but she doesn’t see me that way.”

              “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

              Before anything else could be said, Clarke entered the kitchen and reached for Raven’s coffee to take a sip from it. “Morning,” she said, tiredly.

              Raven laughed. “Morning. I’m off to work. You two behave.” She took her travel mug from Clarke and made her way out of the apartment.

              “I have to get going as well,” Lexa said. “Do you want to have lunch later?”

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair. “Can’t today. I have lunch plans with Niylah… unless you want to join us. You’re friends with her, right?”

              “Anya is friends with her,” Lexa corrected, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. “Are you two just having lunch?”

              “That’s the plan for now,” Clarke answered. “You can text me if you decide to join us.”

              Lexa definitely didn’t want to join Clarke for her lunch with Niylah just to watch the other woman flirt with Clarke. “I’ll probably be busy with work stuff but thanks for the invite.” She gestured to the sweats and t-shirt she had on. “Can I borrow these?”

              “Yeah, go ahead,” Clarke replied. A part of her wanted to bring up their moment last night and the other part was afraid of scaring Lexa away. She watched as Lexa slipped her shoes on and gathered her things.

              “You should think about stopping by to see me. I have a punching bag with your name on it.”

              “I get off work around four so I’ll stop by to see you,” Clarke said.

              “Sounds like a plan.” Lexa grabbed her keys from the coffee table and went over to Clarke. “Have a good day.” She ruffled Clarke’s hair and tugged gently on the blonde’s shirt. “You look sexy with your bed hair and your shirt inside out.”

              Clarke looked down at her shirt and groaned when she saw that the graphic on it was indeed inside out. “I was tired.”

              Lexa laughed and made her way to the door. “I’ll text you,” she said before slipping out of the apartment.

              Clarke smiled to herself and looked down at her shirt again before laughing. She could get used to mornings like this. She wondered if she could get Lexa to spend the night again sometime soon.

 

 

 

 

              Lexa had just finished with one of her classes and was saying bye to everyone when Anya approached her. “Let’s go to your office.”

              Lexa frowned. “Why?”

              “So you can be an emo mess in private.” Anya headed up the stairs to Lexa’s office and Lexa followed, though confused by what Anya was going on about.

              Once inside the office, Lexa sat down on the edge of her desk and quirked a brow at her best friend. “Okay, what’s up?”

              “Rip off the Band-Aid or slowly pull it off?”

              “Since when do you not like to rip off the Band-Aid?”

              “Good point. Niylah texted me. She’s having lunch with Clarke soon and wanted to know if she was single because she plans on asking her out…”

              Lexa furrowed her brows. “Like on a date?”

              “Yes, like on a date, Lexa,” Anya sighed. “I told you to make a move.”

              Lexa’s shoulders slumped. She had been thinking about making a move all day since her conversation with Raven and now she had missed her opportunity.   

              “Clarke could say no,” Anya pointed out. “So don’t go getting all sad just yet.”

              Lexa sighed. “This is probably for the better anyway,” she said as she stood up. “I have another class to get ready for.”

              “Lexa,” Anya began.

              “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Clarke’s still my friend and that’s what’s important.” Anya watched her friend leave the office and looked up at the ceiling. “Please let her say no.” A mopey heartbroken Lexa just meant that the brunette would return to her old ways and that’s the last thing Anya wanted.

 

 

              “So was being a doctor something you always wanted?” Niylah asked as she sat in a café with Clarke.

              Clarke shook her head. “I wanted to be an artist. It’s a big passion of mine.”

              “An artist? I think you chose the better profession. Being a doctor is definitely more financially stable.”

              Clarke tried to ignore her irritation at how quickly Niylah had written off her passion unlike Lexa who had been interested in her passion for art.

              “Med school must keep you pretty busy,” Niylah continued.

              “It does,” Clarke confirmed. “My break has been nice but I know once I start clinicals, I’m going to be stressed out.”

              “So if I wanted to ask you out on a date, would that be something you’d be interested in making time for?”

              Clarke was caught off guard by the question. “A date? Oh… um, Niylah, I’m sorry. There’s… there’s someone else—unofficially.”

              Niylah nodded her understanding. “Lexa?”

              Clarke was once again taken aback. “What?”

              Niylah smiled. “I could tell she didn’t like us interacting the other day. I guess she likes you as well.”

              “No, it’s one-sided,” Clarke explained. “Lexa doesn’t see me like that.”

              Niylah laughed lightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh. I think maybe you should talk to her about how you feel. If the glares I received from her are any indication, I think she likes you, too.”

              Clarke shook her head. “She doesn’t.” She thought about it for a moment. “Do you really think she does?”

              Niylah nodded. “You should do something about it.”

              Clarke bit her bottom lip. She obviously couldn’t go on like this. If last night was anything to go by, she wouldn’t be able to keep her feelings to herself much longer anyway. Maybe she did need to have a conversation with Lexa.

 

 

 

 

              Lexa was at her desk trying to focus on her paperwork but she was too upset about Clarke and Niylah. She had meant to text Clarke all day to ask her how her day went but she didn’t want to hear about Niylah and their lunch date. There was a light knock at her door and Lexa was surprised to see Clarke enter the office.

              “Hey,” Clarke greeted her. “Can we forgo our kickboxing lesson and talk instead?”

              Lexa gestured to the papers on her desk. “Sorry, I’ve got to finish this.”

              “Okay, not a problem,” Clarke said. “I can wait downstairs.”

              Lexa shook her head. “It’s probably going to take me a while.”

              Clarke frowned. “So you’re canceling our plans?”

              “Yeah, sorry,” Lexa said without taking her eyes from her desk.

              Clarke shifted on her feet. “Is something wrong?”

              “Clarke, I’m just busy,” Lexa let out in irritation.

              Clarke didn’t know what Lexa’s deal was but she didn’t like her new attitude. “You know where to find me if you decide you have time for me again,” she snapped before leaving.

              Lexa sighed and set her pen down before sitting back in her chair. She had definitely messed up and she knew she would have to admit her feelings to Clarke because there was no way she could pretend anymore that she was only interested in friendship with the blonde. Today would be the day her relationship with Clarke progressed or crash and burned.

 

 

 

              Clarke was reading one of her textbooks because it was one of the few ways she could keep her mind off Lexa but the knock at the door broke her concentration and she sighed as she got up to see who it was. When she opened the door and saw Lexa, she was half tempted to close it back. She settled for snark. “Found time for me?”

              Lexa had both her arms behind her back and held out her right hand, revealing several paintbrushes tied together by a ribbon. “A bouquet of paintbrushes and if that doesn’t work…” She revealed what else was behind her back. “Chocolate.”

              Clarke took the paintbrushes and the chocolate before stepping aside to let Lexa in. “I’m pissed at you.”

              “I know,” Lexa said as she entered the apartment. “I’m sorry.”

              “Why were you being a jerk?” Clarke asked as she moved to the kitchen counter to set the paintbrushes and chocolate down.

              Lexa took a deep breath and mentally gave herself a pep talk. “Anya said Niylah was planning to ask you out and I got jealous.”

              Clarke hadn’t been prepared for that answer. “Jealous? Of Niylah?”

              Lexa nodded.

              Clarke was silent for a moment before letting out a breath. “Lexa… what are we doing? What have we been doing for the last month?”

              This was it. Lexa felt her heart hammering against her chest as she took a step closer to Clarke. “This… this kind of feels like falling in love. At least for me. I got jealous because I’ve been wanting to ask you out and Niylah beat me to it. I really like you, Clarke. I’m sorry if I’m ruining our friendship by admitting that. I just can’t pretend anymore that I don’t have feelings for you.”

              Clarke repeated Lexa’s words in her head. The brunette wasn’t wrong. This did feel like falling in love. “Niylah asked me out and I turned her down because whatever we’ve been doing for the last month has made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time.” She gestured between herself and Lexa. “I want this, Lexa. I want _you_.”

              Lexa smiled. “You do?”

              Clarke pulled Lexa in for a kiss and it became heated in a matter of seconds. When Clarke tugged at the hem of Lexa’s shirt, wanting to pull it off, Lexa slowed the kiss down before finally pulling away. “Not yet. I don’t want to rush this. I want to do things right with you. Is that okay?”

              Clarke smiled and kissed Lexa gently on the lips. “It’s more than okay,” she said as she leaned her forehead against the brunette’s. “The paintbrush bouquet was a nice touch, by the way. Thank you.”

              Lexa grinned. “I thought so,” she said before capturing Clarke’s lips for another kiss, and if the two spent the next half hour making-out against the kitchen counter, after weeks of longing for each other, who could blame them?”

             

             


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

              Clarke was in bed with Lexa making-out instead of talking like they were initially supposed to when they entered the room. Lexa broke the kiss but Clarke leaned up and recaptured her lips, nipping at her bottom lip before soothing it with her tongue. Lexa smiled and broke the kiss once more so that her lips were barely touching Clarke’s and when the blonde tried to kiss her again, she pulled up so that she couldn’t. Before Clarke could protest, Lexa leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Clarke parted her lips, wanting more and Lexa slid her tongue against Clarke’s, eliciting a light moan from the blonde.

              Clarke’s hand slid up Lexa’s shirt and she let her hand rest on Lexa’s side. She shivered when Lexa’s tongue grazed the roof of her mouth and she arched into the brunette. “Shit, you’re way too good at that,” she breathed out. Lexa only smiled before pressing kisses to Clarke’s neck. After a few seconds, she moved back to Clarke’s lips, teasing them with a promise of a kiss but never fully pressing her own lips against Clarke’s.

              “We should probably stop making-out long enough to talk about what it is we’re doing.” Lexa’s lips grazed Clarke’s as she spoke.

              Clarke sighed, not wanting to stop at all. “If we must.” Lexa chuckled and kissed Clarke on the nose causing the brunette to scrunch up her face. She moved to rest beside the blonde and Clarke rolled over so that she was on her side facing her. “Where do you want to start?”

              Lexa placed a hand on Clarke’s hip as she mirrored her position, using her hand to prop her head up. “Wherever you’re comfortable with starting.”

              Clarke thought for a moment before answering. “Okay, is this progression in our relationship between us only or do you want people to know?”

              “Well, Anya knows I’m into you and so do Octavia and Raven,” Lexa admitted. “They each confronted me at some point about it because apparently I’m obvious.”

              “And how’d that conversation go with Octavia?” Clarke asked, knowing Octavia would disapprove of them being together.

              “Surprisingly well. She had warned me earlier on to not make any passes at you and when she realized that I liked you as more than a friend, I got many glares and more warnings. She was only looking out for you, though. She told me that she was the one to introduce you to Finn and she didn’t want to bring anyone else into your life that would hurt you.”

              Clarke didn’t realize that Octavia felt that she was to blame for her shitty relationship with Finn and made a mental note to talk to her best friend later to assure her that she didn’t blame her at all. “So everyone was aware of your feelings for me except for me?”

              “Basically,” Lexa replied, amused. “But don’t feel bad. I didn’t have a clue you were into me. I would’ve made a move sooner if I did and I would’ve saved myself getting jealous over girls I thought you liked.”

              Clarke quirked a brow in curiosity. “Girls? Who else besides Niylah did you get jealous of?”

              Lexa rolled her eyes sheepishly. “It was stupid.”

              “I still want to know.”

              Lexa sighed. “Your friend, Harper, was all over you at that party and I got stupidly jealous.”

              Clarke’s eyes shined with realization. “Is that why you left?”

              Lexa nodded. “It’s also why I kissed Iris.”

              Clarke bit at her bottom lip, thinking of whether or not she should ask the question that hearing Iris’ name had prompted. Lexa noticed the blonde thinking too hard and gently squeezed her hip. “What’s going on in that mind of yours?”

              “Can I ask a personal question?” Clarke asked. “You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal,” she quickly added.

              Lexa chuckled. “Go ahead, Clarke.”

              “When was the last time you were… involved with someone… physically?”

              Lexa thought for a moment. “A little over a month ago. Three days before I met you and then after we met, I lost all interest in being with anyone who wasn’t you.”

              Clarke leaned forward and kissed Lexa. “It’s been about three months for me. It was a drunken stress relief thing. Can I ask another question?”

              “Go for it.” Lexa replied as her fingers moved under Clarke’s shirt and began to trace circles on her hip.

              “Are you really ready for something like this—us dating?” Clarke asked. “I know your break-up with Costia was only four months ago and you were together for a long time.”

              “If you’re asking if I still have feelings for her, I don’t,” Lexa replied. “You’re not a rebound or anything like that. I wouldn’t want us to take this step if I wasn’t sure about my feelings.” Lexa kissed Clarke before pulling away to meet her gaze. “There’s definitely an intense liking here,” she gestured between them.

              “I can’t argue there,” Clarke agreed.

              Lexa’s hand trailed up and down Clarke’s side, which remained under the blonde’s shirt. “Would you be up for a date tomorrow?”

              Clarke nodded. “I definitely would be.”

              Lexa pushed herself up and leaned over Clarke to grab her phone from the nightstand so she could check the time. “I should probably head home.”

              Clarke turned so that she was on her back and guided Lexa so that the brunette was hovering over her. “Or you could stay a bit longer.”

              Lexa smirked and leaned down to kiss her… girlfriend? She paused before she could reach Clarke’s lips and pushed herself up so she could look down at the blonde. “Are you my girlfriend?”

              Clarke smiled. “Do you want me to be?”

              “Yes, but only if it’s a title you’re comfortable with this soon. We don’t have to put a label on anything yet.”

              “I’m very comfortable with it,” Clarke assured her before capturing the brunette’s lips for a kiss.  

              The two began their make-out session once more but pulled away quickly when Clarke’s room door was opened.  

              “Hey, Clar—oh!” Raven closed the door. “Sorry, I didn’t know Lexa was over… or that you two would be doing _that._ What a big jump between being clueless to getting naked. It’s about time, though.”

              Lexa chuckled and kissed Clarke one last time before getting off the bed. She pulled the door open and waved a greeting at Raven. “We weren’t doing anything past a PG-13 rating.” She went to grab her phone and kissed Clarke who was now standing. “I better get going.”

              “Okay, I’ll walk you out.” Clarke really wanted Lexa to stay but taking things slow was really the best thing for both of them and Clarke was already having trouble keeping her hands to herself.  

              “Goodnight, Raven,” Lexa said to the smiling engineer. She looked over at Clarke as they neared the front door. “You don’t have to walk me out. I’ll text you when I get home and I’ll see you tomorrow for our date.” Lexa kissed Clarke goodnight and it lasted a bit longer than she meant for it to.

              Once the brunette was gone, Clarke let out a content sigh before turning to head to her room. When she reached her room, she laughed lightly when she saw Raven lying on her bed. The brunette wiggled her eyebrows at her best friend. “So obviously you and Lexa have stepped into new territory.”

              Clarke smiled as she got onto her bed. “We have.”

              “And?” Raven asked, wanting to know more.

              “And it’s pretty fucking fantastic,” Clarke replied. “I really like her, Raven. She’s different, you know? I can really be myself around her.”

              “You two are cute together,” Raven stated. “I definitely ship it.”

              Clarke laughed. “Thanks for the support.”

              “Yeah, no problem.” Raven gestured to her leg brace. “Can you take this thing off? Your bed is comfy. I don’t want to move.”  
              Clarke obliged her friend and set the brace on the floor before turning off the lights and getting back onto the bed. “How are you and Anya doing?”

              Raven smiled. “Great. She’s perfect. She’s even taking off work in order to be around to help me after my surgery.”

              “Which is coming up soon,” Clarke said. “Are you ready for it?”

              “I am,” Raven replied. “I hope it helps the way your mom says it will. Anyway, I’m sleeping here.”

              Clarke smiled. “I figured.”

              Raven closed her eyes and Clarke reached for her phone to send Octavia a quick text telling the brunette they should have lunch together tomorrow. She wanted to address the brunette’s guilt about Finn and make sure Octavia knew she didn’t blame her at all. Setting her phone back down, Clarke closed her eyes and followed Raven into slumber.

             

             

 

              Clarke entered Grounders and saw that Octavia was finishing up with a class so she made her way over to the dojo half of the building and smiled when she saw Lexa drinking a bottle of water with a face towel hanging over her shoulder.

              “How do you make drinking a bottle of water look so hot?” Clarke asked as she approached her girlfriend.

              Lexa smiled at the sight of Clarke and kissed her on the cheek. “Special talent,” she smirked. “This is a nice surprise.”

              “I’m having lunch with O,” Clarke replied. “I thought I’d come say hi to my girlfriend.”

              Lexa grinned at Clarke’s use of ‘girlfriend.’ “Would you also like to make-out like horny teenagers in your girlfriend’s office until Octavia’s ready?”

              Clarke made a face. “You’re sweaty.”

              Lexa took the towel from her shoulder and wiped her forehead with it. “I’ve been doing double duty. Ontari isn’t feeling well so I covered her classes. You should be impressed that I have such amazing stamina. It shows you what you have to look forward to later.”

              Clarke bit her bottom lip as images of Lexa being sweaty for another reason flashed through her mind. “Yeah, let’s go to your office.”

              Lexa chuckled and intertwined her fingers with Clarke’s before making her way towards her office. Once inside her office, Clarke moved to Lexa’s desk and giggled when the brunette picked her up by the waist and placed her on it. “You could probably bench press me,” Clarke voiced.  

              Lexa parted Clarke’s legs and moved to stand between them. “Probably.”

              Clarke leaned forward and captured Lexa’s bottom lip between her teeth. She tugged gently before releasing Lexa’s lip with a grin. “I think this is my favorite look on you.”

              “Turned on?” Lexa asked as her eyes dropped to Clarke’s lips.

              Clarke laughed as she placed her arms around Lexa’s neck. “The tank top and sweatpants look,” she clarified. “It’s hot.”

              They began to kiss again and as things became heated, Lexa pulled away and peppered Clarke’s neck with soft kisses to slow things down.

              “I should probably go check to see if Octavia’s ready,” Clarke said as she tilted her head to the side to give Lexa better access.

              Lexa placed a final kiss on Clarke’s neck before pulling away to look at her. “I’m excited about our date tonight.”

              Clarke grinned, excitedly. “What do you have planned?”

              “Absolutely nothing, but don’t worry. I work well under stress.”

              Clarke moved her left hand so that it was resting on Lexa’s chest. “I’m not worried,” she said as her thumb moved back and forth against Lexa’s skin. “Just know that it doesn’t have to be anything extravagant.”

              There was a knock at the office door and Lexa turned her head to glance at it. “Yes?”

              “Is Clarke in there? I thought I saw her earlier” Octavia asked.

              Lexa backed away from Clarke to allow the blonde to get down from the desk before she went to open the door. Octavia looked from Lexa to Clarke. “What were you two doing?”

              Clarke grinned. “I was getting a tour of the office.”

              Octavia rolled her eyes but a smile tugged at her lips. “Oh yeah? With a detour into Lexa’s pants?”

              Clarke blushed and looked back at Lexa. “I’ll see you around seven?”

              Lexa nodded. “Have a good day.”

              “You too,” Clarke said before leaving the office with Octavia.

              “So you and Lexa?” Octavia asked as they walked down the stairs.

              “New development as of last night,” Clarke replied. “I was going to tell you during lunch.”

              “She really likes you,” Octavia said, simply, as they made their way out of the gym.

              Clarke smiled, taking that as Octavia’s stamp of approval. “I really like her, too.”  
             

             

 

 

              Clarke was in the nearby café with Octavia and the two had been talking randomly until Octavia brought up the difference she noticed in her best friend.

              “You seem happier.”

              Clarke smiled. “I am. I still have my baggage and hopefully Lexa won’t think it’s too much but I am happier.”

              “I’m glad you’re starting to be in a better place,” Octavia said. “Be careful, though, okay? I’d hate to see you get hurt again.”

              Clarke reached across the table and placed a hand on top of Octavia’s. “I will be. And you need to know that I don’t blame you for the bad that Finn brought to my life. You’re an amazing friend and I love you. Please don’t feel guilty about ever introducing me to him, okay?”

              Octavia nodded. “Okay. And I’m happy for you and Lexa. I wasn’t being fair to her before. I think she’ll treat you right and you two definitely balance each other out. It’s good that you started off as friends first.”

              “It is,” Clarke agreed. “I hope with my clinicals starting up soon that it won’t ruin what we have going.”

              “I’m sure you two will be able to work something out.” Octavia knew how time-consuming med school was and clinicals would definitely put a lot of stress on her best friend. She just hoped Lexa was ready for the backseat her relationship with Clarke would probably take once it started.

             

             


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Clarke was wrapped in a towel, having just taken a shower, and was now staring into her closet with a look of defeat. Her hair and makeup were done. It was just the outfit part that was stressing her out. Lexa had said dress warm but Clarke’s warmer clothes didn’t exactly scream sexy. She wanted wow Lexa tonight. Sighing, she began to flip through her clothes again in hopes that she would find something she missed the first time.

              A knock sounded at the door and Raven stuck her head inside. “Lexa’s here.”

              “Shit,” Clarke muttered. “Can you keep her busy?”

              Raven entered the room and moved to stand beside her friend. “I’ll help you through your obvious crisis instead. What’s the matter?”

              “I don’t have anything to wear. I mean, I do… but I want to really look good for Lexa and my wardrobe is falling short.”

              “Lexa would be attracted to you if you wore a plastic bag,” Raven assured her. “But if you want to make her drool, then I would recommend that red dress you own.”

              “I’m supposed to be dressing warm,” Clarke informed her best friend.

              Raven moved to Clarke’s closet and began to go through it. After a few seconds, she pulled out a low cut black sweater and a pair of Clarke’s favorite jeans. She turned to face the blonde, holding each item of clothing up. “Simple yet alluring. This sweater will show off your cleavage and these jeans will show off your ass. Lexa’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt so I think this will complement that. You don’t want to overdo it.”

              “You’re right,” Clarke agreed as she took the clothes from her best friend. “Thanks, Raven.”

              “It’s what I’m here for,” Raven said before slipping out of the room to go keep Lexa entertained. When she entered the living room, Lexa was sitting on the couch looking through Clarke’s sketchpad. “She’ll be right out.”

              “Thanks,” Lexa replied as she continued to look through the sketchpad. “She’s so talented. I wish she would think about putting her work out there.”

              “She’s too busy with the whole future doctor thing,” Raven reminded her. “Soon she won’t even have time to do that,” she gestured to the sketchpad. “I’m glad you inspired her to start up again, though. Art makes her happy… and from what most of her new drawings and paintings consist of, I think it’s safe to say that you make her happy.”

              Lexa looked over at Raven with a small smile. “You think so?”

              Raven nodded. “I’m pretty confident about it.”

              Lexa’s smile grew. “She makes me happy, too.”

              Clarke exited her room and made her way to the living room. “Sorry about the wait.”

              Lexa stood up and smiled at Clarke. “I didn’t mind.” She held up the sketchpad. “I was busy being in awe of what your hands can do.” Raven chuckled at the accidental innuendo and Lexa blushed. “Create—what your hands can create.”

              Clarke laughed and moved to place a kiss on Lexa’s cheek. “Ignore Raven. She can make a dirty joke out of anything.”

              Lexa’s eyes fell to the V of Clarke’s shirt before looking at the blonde. “You look amazing.”

              Clarke smiled. “Thanks. You look great, too.”

              “Are you ready to get going?”

              Clarke nodded and moved to grab her favorite jacket. “See you later, Raven.”

              “Have fun, you two,” Raven said as she moved to the front door to see them out. “I want to hear nothing but good things tomorrow.” She looked at Lexa. “We’ll be having a few words if I don’t.”

              “Noted,” Lexa said before exiting the apartment with Clarke.

              Clarke reached for Lexa’s hand as they made their way down the stairs and laced their fingers together. “So where are we going?”

              Lexa grinned. “It’s a surprise. Hopefully one you’ll like.” She had been nervous while planning the date and knew Clarke would either love it or hate it. She hoped it would be the former.

              “We have fun making up stories about ourselves in another life so I think it’s safe to say whatever you have planned, we’ll have a good time together.”

 

 

              Lexa parked her car and looked over at Clarke, who was looking out the window at the dock. “Are we about to go on a boat?” Clarke asked, curiously.

              Lexa grinned. “Maybe.” She got out of the car and went to the trunk to pull out a basket and blanket.

              Clarke exited the car and quirked a brow. “Are we having a picnic on the dock?”

              Lexa laughed lightly as she closed the trunk. “Follow me, please, m’lady.”

              Clarke smiled in amusement as she followed Lexa down the set of stairs nearby and towards the dock. Clarke noticed someone getting off the motor boat that was docked and looked over at Lexa. “Who’s that?”

              The stranger approached the two before Lexa could answer. “Just in time,” the other brunette said. “I just got the boat ready for you.” She handed the key to Lexa.

              “I owe you,” Lexa said as she took the key. “I really appreciate you letting me use the boat.”

              Luna grinned. “From the “urgent” texts you sent me, I figured I’d help you out. Couldn’t have you bombing your first date.” She looked over at Clarke and held her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, Clarke. I’ve heard a lot about you in the last couple of hours.” She looked back at her cousin. ‘Actual goddess’ is definitely an accurate description, Lexa. She’s gorgeous.”

              Lexa blushed. “Clarke, the woman embarrassing me right now is my cousin, Luna.”

              Clarke smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Luna.”

              “I’ll leave you two to your date,” Luna said. “Remember to put the cover back on the boat when you’re done,” she said to Lexa before walking off.

              Clarke looked at Lexa and tilted her head to the side. “Actual goddess?”

              Lexa shrugged. “She wanted to know what you looked like and that seemed to be the best description.”

              Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s lips. “You’re sweet and also more deserving of that description.”  
              “We can share it. No reason we can’t both be goddesses.” Lexa nodded towards the boat. “Go ahead and get on.” Clarke stepped carefully onto the boat and accepted the basket and blanket Lexa handed to her. The brunette untethered the boat and got onto it. “Go ahead and sit down okay? I’m going to take this thing out a bit. Not too far, though. It’ll be dark soon and I’d hate to get us lost.”

              Clarke placed the basket and blanket down before sitting down in one of the chairs. “You do have a license for this thing, right?”

              Lexa smirked. “I do. No worries.”

              “Do you need me to do anything?”

              “All you have to do is relax and enjoy the view.”

              Clarke smirked and kept her eyes on Lexa as the brunette started the boat up. “That I can do.”

             

 

 

An hour later…

              “Okay, it’s my turn to ask a question,” Clarke laughed. “You asked like three in a row.” Lexa was sitting on one of the chairs with Clarke resting between her legs with her back pressed against Lexa’s chest. The blanket Lexa had brought was draped around them and Clarke could swear she hadn’t felt this content in her entire life.

              Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke’s ear. “Okay, ask away.”

              “We don’t know each other’s birthday. That’s important information,” Clarke stated. “So when’s yours?”

              “July 1st,” Lexa answered. “And yours?”

              “September 20th,” Clarke answered. “Virgo and a Cancer. No wonder we’re so damn compatible.”

              Lexa grinned and rested her chin on Clarke’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t be surprised you know about the compatibility between signs.” Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke’s neck. “I’ll let you ask another question.”

              Clarke thought it over for a few seconds. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?”

              “I’ve always wanted to visit Australia,” Lexa answered.

              “Yeah? Me too,” Clarke replied.

              “Maybe one day it can be something we do together.”

              Clarke smiled. “Maybe.” She moved from her position and straddled Lexa’s thighs. Lexa simply smiled up at her and waited for Clarke to initiate things. Clarke leaned down so that their lips were barely touching and stayed there for a moment. Lexa brought her hand up to the back of Clarke’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss, causing Clarke to smile into it.

              Lexa ran her hands up and down Clarke’s arms. “You’re not cold are you?”

              “It is a little chilly but I like it here,” Clarke assured her. “I don’t want to leave yet.” Clarke adjusted herself so that she was lying on top of Lexa with her head resting on the brunette’s chest. Lexa smiled and pulled the blanket back up over them.

 

 

 

              Clarke was asleep in bed when she awoke to herself being hit repeatedly by a pillow. “Raven,” she groaned.

              “How was the date?” Raven asked. “Please tell me you got laid.”

              Clarke turned onto her back and blinked a few times before her eyes focused on her friend. “It was amazing,” she smiled. “We had a picnic on a boat. We talked and just… enjoyed each other’s company.”

              “Okay, but did you have sex?” Raven asked.

              Clarke rolled her eyes. “We were on a boat.”

              Raven placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, and? I’m sure there was ample space to get it on.”

              “We’re taking things slow,” Clarke informed her. “Lexa said she wants to do things right with me. It’s actually really sweet.”

              “You two are disgustingly cute.” Raven bent down and picked up a vase of flowers that Clarke hadn’t noticed. “I assumed you rocked her world because she left these at the front door. She knocked and rushed off. I caught her through the window as she was pulling off.”

              Clarke sat up with a huge smile and reached for the vase. She saw a note resting in the flowers and pulled it out to read it. _I enjoyed every second of our date last night. You looked absolutely beautiful under the night sky. -Lexa_

Raven’s phone buzzed and she grinned as she read over the message. “Okay so I sent a picture of the flowers to Monty because he’s a flower nerd and apparently those hibiscus flowers stand for delicate beauty. How fucking sweet is that?”

              Clarke’s smile grew at the information as she smelt the flowers. “Raven, I really like her.”

              Raven chuckled. “I know. Try to keep her.” Clarke would definitely do everything she could to ensure that her relationship with Lexa didn’t fail.

 

 

Two weeks later…

              Clarke entered her apartment after a long day of med school and made her way to her room before closing her eyes and leaning her back against the door. She took a deep breath before tossing her things down and moving to sit on the edge of her bed. It had been a long day. She had to tell herself several times that med school was the best thing for her. She could get through it—she knew she could.

              Clarke checked the time on her watch and ran a hand through her hair. She was running late. Lexa would be at the apartment in about five minutes and Clarke wasn’t anywhere near ready for their date. Clarke was emotionally drained from the day but she had been looking forward to spending time with Lexa. The two hadn’t seen much of each other since med school started up a week ago.

              Clarke heard the knock on the front door and quickly got up to go open it for Lexa. “Hey, I’m so sorry. I just got home. If you can give me half an hour, I’ll be ready. I just want to jump into the shower.”

              Lexa stepped inside and closed the apartment door. “That’s not a problem. How was your day?”

              “Tiring. How about yours?”

              “Pretty decent. You go ahead and take your shower.” Lexa brushed a strand of hair from Clarke’s face. “No rush. I don’t mind waiting.”

              Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s cheek. “I won’t be long,” she promised before heading towards the bathroom.

              As soon as the bathroom door closed, Lexa rolled up the sleeves to her shirt and made her way into the kitchen. Clarke was obviously exhausted and Lexa didn’t want to make the blonde go out if she really wasn’t in the mood. She had come to learn that during Clarke’s really bad days, the blonde enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich.

              After making four sandwiches, two for each of them, Lexa poured them both a glass of champagne. She heard the bathroom door open and Clarke stepped out to check on her girlfriend. She had a towel wrapped around her frame and was using one hand to keep it on. “What’s that smell?”

              Lexa gestured to the coffee table where she had placed the two plates. “I thought we’d just stay in tonight.”

              Clarke’s hearted warmed at the sight of her favorite comfort food. “You made grilled cheese.”

              Lexa smiled. “I did.”

              “But we had reservations. I know you really wanted to try this new place out.”

              Lexa shrugged. “We’ll go some other time. It’s not important. I just want to spend time with you. I don’t care what we’re doing.” Clarke felt her eyes water and she quickly reached up to wipe at them. Lexa moved to stand in front of Clarke. “Hey, what is it?” She asked as she placed her hands on Clarke’s shoulders.

              Clarke pulled Lexa into a hug, burying her face into the brunette’s chest as she spoke. “I’ve had a shitty day and here you are being amazing. And you made grilled cheese. My dad used to make it for me whenever I was having a rough day.”

              Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke and placed a kiss on top of her head. “Do you want to talk about your bad day?”

              Clarke shook her head against Lexa’s chest. “Can we just stay like this for a bit?”

              Lexa hugged Clarke a little tighter. “Of course.”

             

             


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

A few days later…

              Lexa entered Ark Hospital and followed the directions she had been given by Anya to Raven’s room. The mechanic had gone through her surgery the previous day and was now in recovery. Lexa had almost reached the room when she saw Clarke’s mom heading down the hall towards the room as well.

              “Lexa,” Abby greeted her as she stopped outside the room.

              “Doctor Griffin,” Lexa replied.

              Abby’s eyes went to the tribal tattoo on Lexa’s right upper arm. “You have a tattoo.”

              Lexa glanced at her arm. “Yeah, I have several.” The brunette could tell that Clarke’s mom didn’t look pleased by that response.

              “I’m told you and Clarke are dating now,” Abby said, getting straight to the point.

              Lexa nodded. “We are. It’s… great. Really great. Your daughter’s great.” Lexa mentally chastised herself for sounding like an idiot. Abby had the protective mother glare perfected and it was causing Lexa to falter.

              “She is,” Abby agreed. “She’s been through a lot and she could use a break from having anything in her life that’s not great.”

              “Like med school?” Lexa asked, hating how it seemed to stress Clarke out. She had a cousin who had gone through med school and she had at least had a lot of exciting stories to tell and seemed invigorated by learning and experiencing medicine. Clarke just seemed exhausted by it.

              Abby frowned. “Medical school is an amazing thing for Clarke. Why would you think otherwise?”

              The door to Raven’s room opened and Anya stepped out. “Hey,” she greeted Lexa. “I’m about to get some coffee. Do you want any?”

              Lexa shook her head. “I’m good. Thanks.”

              “Abby would you like anything?” Anya asked.

              “Oh, I’m fine,” Abby smiled. “Thank you, though.”

              _Abby?_ Lexa thought. Anya had apparently gotten into the doctor’s good graces. Lexa entered the hospital room and spotted Clarke sitting in a chair by Raven’s bed while Octavia and Lincoln were on the other side. “Hey, how are you feeling?” She asked as she moved to stand by the bed. Abby had decided to stay outside the room for a few more minutes before she kicked everyone out so Raven could rest.

              “Not horrible,” Raven replied. “I’ve gotten a lot of gifts so I guess that’s cool. Not that anyone had to get me anything.”

              Lexa reached into her back pocket and pulled out a gift card and a folded piece of paper. “So you don’t want this?”

              Raven held her hand out and wiggled her fingers. “Didn’t say that!”

              Lexa chuckled and handed the brunette the items. “I was told not to get you a card because you hate them so I just wrote something on a piece of paper. And the gift card is for this t-shirt place online. They make those funny shirts you like so much. Like the sloth one you have.” Lexa had seen Raven wear comical t-shirts on her down days and figured the engineer would appreciate it.

              “This is great, Lexa,” Raven said. “Thank you.”

              As Raven began to unfold the piece of paper, Clarke stood up and gestured for Lexa to take her seat. Lexa sat down but gently tugged Clarke onto her lap so she could sit as well. Clarke smiled and placed a kiss on Lexa’s cheek.

              Raven finished reading Lexa’s letter and looked to her best friend’s girlfriend. “Shit, Lexa. Why’d you have to go and get all sentimental on me? I have these two for that nonsense.” She gestured to Clarke and Octavia. It was obvious that Raven had been touched by whatever was written and Clarke laughed at the brunette’s reaction.

              “Too many feelings?” Clarke asked.

              Raven rolled her eyes but she was smiling. “Yeah, I’m maxed out on feelings today.” She sighed and looked at Lexa. “Thank you, you idiot. That was… it means a lot.”  
              Lexa winked at her in response and turned her head when she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Abby had finally walked in and she looked at the placement of Lexa’s hand on Clarke’s thigh before meeting Lexa with a questioning gaze. Lexa immediately moved her hand as she wondered what happened to nice Doctor Abby from when she came in to get stitches. Oh, right. She wasn’t dating her daughter back then.

              “Okay, everyone,” Abby began. “It’s time to go. Raven needs to rest.”

              Clarke stood from Lexa’s lap and the brunette stood as well, reaching for Clarke’s hand so she could lace their fingers together.

              Lincoln placed his hand on top of Raven’s and squeezed it gently. “My offer still stands to be your personal trainer once you’re done with physical therapy.”

              “I’ll keep that in mind. We have a solid friendship, I don’t want to start hating you,” Raven joked.

              Anya entered the room and saw that everyone looked to be getting ready to leave. “Kicking us out?” She asked Abby.

              Abby smiled. “You’re allowed to stay.”

              Raven grinned as she looked at Clarke. “Two empty apartments to choose from,” she wiggled her brows.

              Clarke rolled her eyes as she moved to give Raven a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Try to not drive the nurses crazy.”

              Everyone filed out of the room and after a short conversation with Octavia and Lincoln, Lexa walked Clarke to her car. “What was the empty apartments thing about?”

              Clarke shook her head. “Just Raven being Raven. She thinks we should be having sex by now.”

              “Sounds like Anya,” Lexa replied. Clarke leaned her back against her car and Lexa moved to stand close to her. “I’m voting for your apartment. That way you don’t have to rush home in the morning to get ready for work.”

              Clarke quirked a brow. “Does that mean you also think we should be having sex by now?”

              Lexa smirked. “I wouldn’t be opposed, but there’s no rush. I want us to get there when we’re ready. I just meant that your place would be more convenient for us to spend time in.”

              Clarke pulled Lexa closer and captured the brunette’s lips for a kiss. It lasted a few seconds before Clarke pulled away to look at Lexa. “I’ve been ready since before our first kiss so if you’re waiting for me, there’s no need. If you’re not ready, that’s cool, too. I’m just letting you know where I stand.”

              “Noted,” Lexa replied.

              Clarke kissed her again. “Good. I’ll meet you at my place.”

              Lexa took a step back so Clarke could open her car door and get inside. Clarke started her car and winked at Lexa before backing out of her parking space. Lexa waved before making her way to where she had parked. It seemed that she and Clarke were both on the same page with wanting to move their relationship forward.

 

 

              Clarke sighed and closed her textbook from where she was sitting at her desk. Lexa looked up from the book she was reading and set it down before moving from Clarke’s bed to stand behind her girlfriend. She placed her hands on Clarke’s shoulders and smiled when Clarke let out a light moan at the pressure her fingers began to apply to them.

              “You’re so good at this,” Clarke let out, appreciatively.

              “You should take a break,” Lexa said. “Come be with me for a bit.”

              Clarke instantly felt guilty. She had been studying the entire time Lexa had been in the apartment. She stood up from the chair and faced the brunette. “I’m done for the night. I’m all yours.”

              Lexa smiled and tugged Clarke towards the bed. Once they got onto it, Lexa pulled Clarke to her, placing an arm around her waist. “So your mom hates me.”        

              Clarke turned so that she could look at the brunette. “She does not.”

              “She does,” Lexa assured her. “She doesn’t like my tattoo either.”

              Clarke frowned. “Did she say something because-,”

              “No, not blatantly. You know what? Never mind. I’m probably just reading too much into it.” Lexa didn’t want to ruin Clarke’s relationship with her mother after they had finally worked things out.

              “Well, she probably does hate your tattoo,” Clarke admitted. “She’s never been a fan of them. But I’m sure she doesn’t hate you. If anything, she’s just a bit iffy about us. She’s always been that way with anyone I’ve dated.”

              “How was she with Finn?” Lexa asked, curiously.

              “Now him she hated,” Clarke laughed, remembering her mother’s reaction to him when she first introduced them.

              Lexa leaned forward and kissed Clarke gently on the lips. “I love your laugh. Especially when it makes you smile really big and it reaches your eyes.”

              “How are you so sweet? You compliment me every day. You’re going to run out of things to like about me.”

              “Impossible. I’ll always discover something I like about you,” Lexa insisted.

              Clarke kissed Lexa, trailing her tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Lexa parted her lips and moaned lightly when Clarke’s tongue brushed against her own. Clarke pulled away before things could heat up and bit her bottom lip as Lexa looked at her with lustful eyes. “Want to discover some new things about me tonight?”

              “I wanted to make it special for you,” Lexa admitted. “Candlelit dinner and whatnot.”

              Clarke gently pushed Lexa onto her back before moving to straddle her. “You don’t need to plan our first time, Lexa. It’ll be special because it’s with you. Don’t overthink it.”

              Lexa would be lying if she said she didn’t want this right now. “You’re sure?”

              “I am,” Clarke assured her. “Do you want this?”

              Lexa reached up to grip behind Clarke’s neck and pulled her down for a kiss. Things escalated quickly from there and it was only a matter of minutes before the two were completely undressed. Clarke pushed her thigh between Lexa’s leg and the brunette gasped at the pressure before gaining her bearings and flipping them over so that she was on top. “Slow, Clarke,” Lexa breathed out. “We have all night.” Lexa descended, pressing kisses to Clarke’s neck and chest before circling her tongue around one of Clarke’s nipples before taking it into her mouth.

              Clarke brought her hand up to tangle itself in Lexa’s hair and let out a sound that made Lexa feel a pool of wetness drip from her core. “Fuck, Clarke,” she groaned. “Everything about you is amazing.” She moved to her girlfriend’s other breast and paid it the same attention as the other one.

              “Lexa,” Clarke gasped. “Please.”

              Lexa smiled and moved up to kiss Clarke. “Patience, Clarke.” Lexa wanted to worship her and she wouldn’t give in to what Clarke wanted until she had thoroughly done so. She kissed her way back down Clarke’s chest until she reached her stomach. She kissed and nipped every inch of skin she could as she moved further down between Clarke’s legs. She kissed the blonde’s thighs and smiled at the curses that escaped Clarke when she gently bit her before using her tongue to soothe the ache.

              She moved back up once more and pressed her lips against Clarke’s and the two got lost in the kiss for quite some time but Lexa broke away when she felt Clarke buck up against her to gain some relief. Deciding she wanted to take control, Clarke went to flip them over but she didn’t realize how close to the edge of the bed they were so when she turned, Lexa fell from the bed with a surprised yelp.

              “Ohmygod!” Clarke exclaimed as she moved to peer over her bed. “I’m so sorry.”

              Lexa remained lying on her back as she looked up at Clarke with an amused smirk. “What was that?”

              Clarke blushed. “I was trying to switch positions.”

              “It didn’t work out,” Lexa stated with a light laugh. “I think maybe you were a little overeager.”  

              “Yeah, I can see that. Are you okay? Did I just ruin this?”

              “I’m okay and you didn’t ruin anything, Clarke,” Lexa said, trying not to laugh because it was obvious Clarke was embarrassed.

              “Are you going to come back up here?”

              “Promise not to push me off the bed again?” Lexa couldn’t help it, she began to laugh. It was just too funny.

              “I didn’t push you,” Clarke protested. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

              Lexa got back onto the bed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m perfectly fine, Clarke. I promise.” She gestured for the blonde to move to the middle of the bed. “How about you get in the middle so next time you try that it doesn’t end up with me on the floor.” Clarke scooted to the middle of the bed and Lexa pushed her legs apart so she could settle between them. “Are we good?” Lexa asked. When Clarke nodded, she smiled and began to press kisses to the blonde’s stomach. A few seconds passed before Lexa heard Clarke begin to laugh. She looked up and quirked a brow.

              “I’m sorry,” Clarke laughed. “I just can’t believe I did that.”

              Lexa shook her head in amusement before moving up so that she was hovering above Clarke. “I’m not. If your hand-eye coordination is anything to go by during the kickboxing lessons we had…”

              “You’re an ass.” Clarke poked Lexa in her side. “You said I was good.”

              Lexa laughed. “I’m kidding. You were great and we should find a way to make time for lessons again but…” Lexa positioned herself so that thigh was between Clarke’s legs, “we’ll talk about that later,” she said before rocking into her girlfriend. Clarke gasped and kept her eyes on Lexa as the brunette moved against her. Lexa bit her bottom lip as she watched Clarke unravel beneath her. Clarke reached up and pulled Lexa down for a kiss.

              When Lexa could tell that Clarke was on the brink, she moved down in one fluid motion and flicked her tongue over Clarke’s clit.

              “Shit,” Clarke moaned out as she spread her legs further apart. “Lexa, please.”

              Lexa lashed her tongue over Clarke several times before running it along her folds. She moaned herself when Clarke let out the most magnificent sounds. When she felt Clarke’s fingers grip her hair gently and guide her to where she wanted her, she smiled and latched onto the blonde’s clit as she entered her with two fingers.            

              “Ohmygod, ohmygod,” Clarke moaned loudly. “Fuck! Lexa, shit—don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

              Lexa continued thrusting into Clarke as her tongue sucked and licked at her. She pressed her tongue flat against Clarke and moved her head up and down. Clarke gripped Lexa’s hair tightly and began to move against Lexa’s tongue. “Yes, just like this! I’m—fuck… Lexa!” Clarke stiffened as her orgasm hit her hard. Lexa slowed her thrust, helping Clarke ride out her pleasure.

              After a few seconds, Lexa pulled out of Clarke and began to press gentle kisses along her neck and jawline as her girlfriend continued to catch her breath. Clarke jolted a bit as her orgasm continued to run its course. “Shit,” Clarke breathed out. “You’re amazing.”

              Lexa grinned against her neck. “And that was just the warmup.”

              Clarke laughed. “You plan on destroying me tonight, huh?”

              Lexa nipped at Clarke’s neck. “You have no idea.” Clarke wrapped her arm around Lexa and flipped them over, successfully this time. “That one gets a ten out of ten simply for the fact I didn’t end up on the floor.”

              Clarke laughed before capturing Lexa’s lips in a kiss. Her hand trailed down between their bodies and her fingers slid through her folds before she dipped a finger inside. Lexa let out a breathy moan as Clarke pulled out and thrusted in with two. She continued to kiss Lexa as her fingers moved within her and after a while, she pulled away to look down at her.

              Lexa kept her eyes open as Clarke watched her but when she felt the blonde’s thumb against her clit, her eyes slammed shut.

              “No,” Clarke said as she slowed her actions. “Open them.”

              Lexa forced her eyes open and bit down on her lower lip as Clarke worked her over. Clarke wasn’t surprised that Lexa wasn’t loud in bed, but she couldn’t help thinking that maybe she wasn’t doing anything worth Lexa moaning over.

              “What do you like?” Clarke asked, wanting to make Lexa feel like she had just moments ago.

              Lexa let out a breath as Clarke’s fingers hit a particular spot within her. “What you’re doing is great.”

              Clarke continued on for several minutes before moving down between Lexa’s legs. She pulled her fingers out and pushed her tongue inside as she wrapped an arm around Lexa’s thigh. She circled her thumb over the brunette’s clit and moaned as her tongue was coated with Lexa’s essence.

              Lexa reached down and lightly gripped Clarke’s hair as she tried not to buck her hips too much and ruin the amazing rhythm the blonde had set. “God,” Lexa breathed out in barely a whisper. Clarke wasn’t even sure if she had really heard it. Lexa’s left hand gripped the bedsheet and she dug her nails into it as she felt herself nearing the edge. “Clarke,” she moaned lightly, her voice cracking.         

              Clarke continued her slow circles against Lexa’s clit and even though her jaw was getting tired, she continued thrusting her tongue into her.

              Lexa’s orgasm was a slow build and as she felt it finally creeping up on her, her breathing changed into light gasps and her fingers tightened in Clarke’s hair as she let out a piercing moan. “Fuck, Clarke,” she gasped as she arched into her.

              Clarke pulled her tongue out and kept her thumb circling Lexa’s clit but after a few more seconds, Lexa reached down and moved it from the overly sensitive flesh. “Shit, that was amazing.”

              Clarke smiled as she rested her chin on Lexa’s stomach. “Yeah?”

              Lexa chuckled as she reached down to run her fingers through Clarke’s hair. “I just came all over your tongue so yeah, pretty fucking great.”

              Clarke placed a kiss to Lexa’s stomach. “I wasn’t sure. You’re so quiet.” She moved up to lie down beside Lexa and placed a kiss to her shoulder. She barely had time to relax in the position before Lexa was on top of her. Clarke laughed. “Showing me that stamina you claim you have?”

              Lexa smirked. “We have a very long night ahead of us,” she confirmed before kissing Clarke.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Clarke sighed and set her textbook to the side of the couch before picking up her phone. It was a Friday night and she had gotten home from the hospital two hours ago and had spent her time studying while her friends were out at the bar. Even Raven had gone out since her leg was feeling a lot better than it had been the last few days. She saw that she had missed a text from Lexa and smiled.

_Lexa[10:04pm]: Can you give me some medical information?_

_Clarke[10:10pm]: Sure. Are you okay?_

_Lexa[10:14pm]: Well I haven’t seen my girlfriend in two days because we’ve both been busy. This morning she sent me a very suggestive text and we got to sexting. Ever since then I haven’t felt quite right._

              Clarke grinned at Lexa’s silliness and bit her bottom lip as she responded.

 

_Clarke[10:15pm]: I got you worked up this morning, huh? What are your symptoms?_

_Lexa[10:16pm]: Not being able to form a thought past my tongue being inside you._

_Clarke[10:17pm]: Feel like leaving the bar early?_

There was a knock at the door and Clarke frowned as she got up to see who it was. She looked through the peephole and laughed lightly when she saw Lexa. She pulled the door open and pulled her girlfriend in by her hand before pushing her against the door, closing it in the process. Clarke’s lips were on Lexa’s before the brunette could say anything and Clarke turned the lock on the door before pulling Lexa back towards the bedroom.

              Lexa smiled into the kiss as she followed obediently. She moved her hands to Clarke’s thighs. “Up,” she said, breaking the kiss for a short second before crashing her lips to Clarke’s once more. Clarke jumped up and wrapped her legs around Lexa, allowing the brunette to carry her into the bedroom.

              Lexa placed Clarke gently onto the middle of the bed before pulling her jacket off and tossing it to the side. She moved on top of Clarke, connecting their lips for an intense kiss as Clarke’s hands moved to tug at her shirt. They hadn’t had sex since their first time a week ago and they were definitely ready to experience each other again.

 

 

              Lexa was lying on her side with her eyes closed as Clarke traced her arm tattoo. “I should get back to studying.”

              “Shh,” Lexa smile, keeping her eyes closed. “Enjoy the post-coital bliss.”

              Clarke chuckled. “Who says post-coital?”

              Lexa turned onto her back to look at her girlfriend. “The woman who just blew your mind.”

              Clarke grinned. “You did do that, didn’t you?”

              “I most definitely did.” Lexa turned back onto her side and reached behind her for Clarke’s hand so that she could place it over her.

              Clarke smiled and pulled Lexa in closer. “You’re such a cuddler. What would your friends say?”

              “Nothing because you’re not telling them,” Lexa said. “Remember I know where you’re the most ticklish.”

              Clarke moved her hand from around Lexa. “Well if you’re going to threaten me…”  
              Lexa whimpered. “Put it back.”

              Clarke laughed. “Did you just whimper like a sad puppy?”

              “Clarke,” Lexa whined.

              Clarke moved her hand to Lexa’s back instead and began to trace her tattoo with her finger. “Have I told you lately that I really love this tattoo?”

              “Only the last time you saw me naked a week ago,” Lexa replied, closing her eyes once more to enjoy the soothing feeling of Clarke’s finger against her back.

              “I need to see you naked more often then.”

              “That can be arranged,” Lexa assured her. “So how was your day?”

              Clarke sighed. “Long. I got snapped at by an attending for something that wasn’t even my fault; I delivered bad news to a patient and that was emotionally exhausting; the whole day was just a lot.”

              Lexa wanted to keep her thoughts to herself on Clarke’s future, she did, but she couldn’t help it when the blonde sounded so miserable. “I’ve never heard you tell me you’ve had a good day at work.”

              “It’s med school. No one has a good day,” Clarke replied.

              “Do you like it?” Lexa once again turned onto her back and looked at Clarke. “Is it something you get excited about every morning?”

              “Yeah, I guess,” Clarke replied, nonchalantly. “It’ll get better later. Right now is just tough.”

              “Okay,” Lexa replied. “I just hate to see you so worn out all the time.”

              “I’m fine,” Clarke assured her.

              “Raven mentioned that you had a nightmare yesterday.” The two had spoken about it and Raven had determined the nightmares only happened when Clarke went to bed stressed out.

              “They still happen every once in a while. They’re not so bad anymore, though.” Clarke wanted a change of subject and remembered her conversation with her mother earlier that day. “So my mom wants to have you over for dinner. Is that something you’d be okay with?”

              “Do you want me to have dinner with your mom?” Lexa asked.

              Clarke nodded. “I want her to get to know you. You make me happy and I need her to see that.”

              “So you’ve realized that she doesn’t like me?” Lexa asked.

              “She thinks you’re a free spirit and might guide me in the wrong direction,” Clarke admitted.

              Lexa scoffed. “A free spirit? Because I’m doing what I love and I’m not a lawyer or have a career that she thinks is suitable? Does she think me having tattoos automatically makes me unworthy of dating her daughter?”

              “Lexa,” Clarke said, soothingly. “We don’t have to have dinner with my mom.” She pressed a kiss between Lexa’s shoulder blades.

              Lexa sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get upset. We can have dinner with your mom. I just hate all the prejudgments.”

              “I know. That’s why I want her to spend some time with you. Does tomorrow work for you?”

              “Yeah, tomorrow’s fine,” Lexa replied.

              Clarke leaned down and kissed the brunette before smiling. “I want to paint. I’m feeling inspired.”

              Lexa returned the smile and leaned up to kiss Clarke. “Go for it.”

              Clarke got out of bed and went to her drawer to pull on shorts and a t-shirt before leaving the room. She returned with her easel and retrieved a blank canvas that was leaning against the wall in her room.

              Lexa watched with a smile as Clarke set everything up. She would never get tired of seeing how happy art made the blonde. “My aunt—the one I told you is big on art—she’s actually a gallery owner. She wants to showcase young artists next month. I was thinking maybe you could meet her.”

              Clarke was mixing colors and continued to do that as she spoke. “Do you want me to meet her because I’m your awesome girlfriend or because you want me to showcase my paintings in her gallery? Which is so cool, by the way. I’d love to see the gallery.”

              “The latter,” Lexa admitted. “But you are my awesome girlfriend.”

              Clarke smiled and glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t have time to create a bunch of new paintings to showcase at a gallery, Lexa. Med school is my life right now.”

              “Maybe it shouldn’t be,” Lexa said. “Will you at least think about it?”

              “I will,” Clarke promised as she brought her paintbrush up to the canvas.

              “Do you know what you’re going to paint?” Lexa asked curiously. “Or are you winging it?”

              “I know what I want to paint. It’s us-inspired.”

              Lexa grinned. “Well then I already know I’m going to love it. Has your mom ever seen your work?”

              “My older stuff from when I was in high school,” Clarke answered. “I’ve gotten a lot better since then. Oh, I did a few quick sketches the other day of Octavia, Raven, Anya and Lincoln in our post-apocalyptic world. The sketchpad is on the nightstand.”

              Lexa reached over to grab the sketchpad and flipped to the last few pages. She saw one of her sleeping in Clarke’s bed presumably the night after they had consummated their relationship. “When did you have time to sketch this after our marathon sex?”

              Clarke smirked, not needing to see what sketch Lexa was talking about. “I couldn’t sleep. My hands were itching to create something so I sketched you.”

              Lexa flipped to the next page and saw Octavia with warpaint and a sword in her hand. “O looks badass.” She turned to the next page and saw a sketch of Raven with a tool in her hand and a makeshift leg brace on with a look of pure determination. “Has Raven seen this? I’m sure she’d love it.”

              “She did,” Clarke laughed. “Her ego got bigger and she requested a poster-size image of that sketch.”

              “Sounds like Raven,” Lexa said as she looked at the last two sketches. “These are amazing, Clarke. You definitely captured Anya’s “fuck off” stare and Lincoln’s overall gentle nature in these.”

              “It’s all in the eyes,” Clarke replied as she focused on her painting.

              Lexa set the sketchpad down and watched Clarke work until she fell asleep half an hour later. Clarke continued to paint until she was done and she then made her way to the bathroom to wash her hands. As she returned to the room, Lexa’s eyes fluttered open and looked at the painting. It was a picture of the two of them on Luna’s boat with Lexa’s holding Clarke as the blonde sat between her legs. The night sky had even been captured perfectly.

              “You seriously amaze me,” Lexa said, tiredly.

              Clarke smiled as she turned off the light and crawled into bed. “You bring it out of me,” she said as she cuddled into Lexa.

              Lexa was having trouble keeping her eyes open with how tired she was so she closed them as she spoke. “Remember that when your mom is trying to get you to break-up with me.”

              Clarke laughed. “Shut up. I’m not breaking-up with you.” Clarke yawned and moved so that her head was resting on Lexa’s chest. “Goodnight.”

              “Goodnight,” Lexa said, half-asleep. “I love you.”

              Clarke’s head shot up and she looked at Lexa but the brunette’s eyes were closed. “Lexa?” Nothing. “Lexa?” She tried again. Clarke smiled and kissed Lexa on the cheek before resting her head on her chest once again. “I love you, too,” she whispered to deaf ears. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Lexa reached tiredly beside her to pull Clarke in to cuddle with her but she was met with an empty space. She turned to see if Clarke was at her desk but didn’t see her there either. She groaned, not wanting to get up but she forced herself to and made her way to the bathroom just outside the room. She splashed water over her face and grabbed the spare toothbrush that she kept at Clarke’s place.

              Once done, Lexa made her way into the kitchen where she found Clarke making a face at the smoothie she had just made. “Morning, beautiful.”

              Clarke looked up from the glass and smiled. “Hey, you.” She gestured to the glass. “I made that kale stuff you like so much. Whether I made it correctly is up for discussion.”

              Lexa moved so that she was standing right behind Clarke for no other reason than she enjoyed being in the blonde’s space. “The fact that you tried is all that matters.” She picked up the glass and sipped it. “It almost tastes like I made it myself.” She placed a kiss on the side of Clarke’s neck before taking another gulp of her drink. She set the glass down on the counter and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. “Thank you.”

              “You’re welcome.” Clarke picked up the drink and sipped it. “Hm, that’s actually not bad.”

              “I can’t believe I slept through you making it. I must’ve been exhausted,” Lexa said. She was usually a light sleeper.

              “I did wear you out last night,” Clarke pointed out with a grin. “And you did pass out on me.”

              “Did I?” Lexa nuzzled her nose against Clarke’s neck before placing a kiss in the crook of it. “Sorry.”

              “I didn’t mind,” Clarke assured her. “Do you remember what you said, though?”

              Lexa frowned as she thought about the night before. “I didn’t say some weird kinky shit did I?”

              Clarke laughed and turned in Lexa’s arms so she could wrap her arms around her neck. “You didn’t. Do you usually say weird kinky shit when you’re exhausted?”

              “No, but you’re making it sound like I said something embarrassing.”

              Clarke leaned forward and kissed Lexa, nipping her bottom lip as she pulled away. “I think I’ll keep it to myself for now. See if it happens again any time soon.” Clarke turned to pick up note cards from the table. “Quiz me?”

              “Sure.” Lexa took the cards and picked up her smoothie. “Have you eaten? I could make you something.”

              “I have,” Clarke answered as she followed Lexa into the living room. She sat down on the couch and Lexa placed her smoothie on the coffee table before looking at Clarke. “Lay down, please.”

              Clarke laid down and Lexa straddled her thighs. “Okay, for every question you get right, I’ll give you a kiss and I’ll keep going down until...” Lexa winked. “Well, you get the gist. If you get something wrong, I’ll start over from the top.”

              Clarke smirked. “How many people have you helped study like this?”

              “Zero, actually,” Lexa answered with a grin. “We’ll see if it’s a successful method.” She looked at one of the cards and read from it. “Name two ways to treat pancreatic divisum.”

              “A sphincterotomy, which is cutting the minor papilla during ERCP to enlarge its opening. The other one is inserting a stent into the duct to prevent blockage.” Clarke grinned as she quirked an eyebrow. “Well?”

              Lexa moved the card to the back of the pile before leaning down to kiss Clarke on the lips. She continued to ask Clarke questions and the blonde kept getting them right. When Lexa moved down to kiss Clarke on her belly button, she nipped gently at the skin there. “This one’s for the gold,” she joked. She placed all the cards on the floor by the couch except for one. “Ready?”

              Clarke nodded eagerly. “Ask me.”  
              Lexa hooked her fingers in the waist band of Clarke’s shorts and underwear and tugged gently. She winked at her girlfriend before looking at the card. “What are the four incisions placed for an appendectomy?”

              “McBurney’s incision, Lanz incision… shit, uh… Rutherford morrision and…” Clarke racked her brain for the last answer but it wasn’t coming to her. “Shit.” Lexa began to loosen her grip on the waistband of Clarke’s shorts but the blonde stopped her. “Wait, give me a second.” Clarke repeated the incisions in her head several times but the fourth one still evaded her. “Damn it.”

              Lexa moved her hand and moved up to place a kiss on Clarke’s lips. “It’s the-,”

              “Paramedian incision!” Clarke blurted out. “I got it.”

              Lexa chuckled. “It’s too late.” She reached over the couch and picked up the cards. “I’m starting over from the top.”

              Clarke pouted. “But I got it.”

              Lexa bent back down and took Clarke’s bottom lip between her teeth. Clarke moaned and soon the two were making-out on the couch. Minutes passed and the two finally broke apart when they heard the front door open.

              “No sex on the couch” were Raven’s first words as she entered the apartment

              “We aren’t having sex.” Clarke pulled her shirt down and was silently thankful that she hadn’t been able to answer that last question in a timely manner because her friends would be walking in on a totally different scene. “How was your night?”

              “Fun,” Raven answered as she plopped down on the couch across from her friends, placing her cane on the floor. She wasn’t wearing a brace anymore and hopefully after physical therapy and some personal training, she would be able to walk around without the cane. “We missed you.”

              “Yeah, next time you should join us,” Octavia added as she sat next to Raven.

              Lexa moved off of Clarke and the blonde sat up so Lexa could sit beside her. “I will. I promise. I just needed to get some studying done. I’m free. We can do something today, but it has to be before five. We’re having dinner with my mom tonight.”  
              Octavia quirked a brow. “We?”

              Lexa piped in. “Yeah, I’m having dinner with Doctor Griffin. Kind of nervous so if you have any suggestions…”

              Raven smiled. “You’ve got the stamp of approval from two best friends so as long as you don’t do something stupid, Abby should realize you’re good people.”

              Lexa sighed. “I don’t know. The woman hates me.”

              Clarke placed a hand on Lexa’s knee. “She doesn’t hate you. She’s hesitant but by tonight after she really gets to talk to you, I’m sure she’ll come around.”

              “Here’s hoping,” Lexa replied. She picked up her smoothie and stood up. “Reyes, let’s go for a walk.”

              Raven groaned and Octavia laughed. “Doctor G said you had to walk a lot,” the younger girl said. “And I know for a fact Anya’s been making you walk.”

              Raven grinned. “Yeah, but she rewards me after.”

              Octavia rolled her eyes and playfully shoved her friend. “Well I think Clarke would kill you if Lexa rewarded you in the same way.”

              Clarke nodded her confirmation. “Clarke would.”

              Lexa smiled and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. “Can I borrow something to wear?”

              “Go for it,” Clarke replied.

              “I guess I should change into torture appropriate clothes, too,” Raven said as she stood up.

              Lexa picked up her glass and took a drink of her smoothie as she made her way to Clarke’s room.

              Raven headed to her own room as well, leaving Octavia and Clarke in the living room. Clarke moved to sit beside Octavia and smiled widely at her.  

              “Spill,” Octavia said, knowing Clarke had something to tell her.

              “Lexa told me she loves me,” Clarke said, quietly.

              Octavia’s eyes widened. “Did you say it back?”

              “Kind of,” Clarke replied. “She said it while she was half asleep and when I said it back, she had already passed out. She doesn’t even know she said it.”

              “Are you going to tell her?” Octavia asked.

              Clarke shook her head. “I think I’ll wait for her to say it again.”

              “And you love her, too?” Octavia asked. “I mean, this is a bit soon for you and hardcore feelings. You never even said those words to Finn and you were together for longer.”

              “I know. I’m surprised myself, but I do love her, O. I’m in love with her. Is that crazy?”

              “No. You two were falling for each other before you were even dating. I’m happy for you.”

              Clarke let out a content sigh. “Thanks for introducing us.”

              Octavia smiled and put an arm around Clarke’s shoulders to pull her in for a light hug. “You’re very welcome.”  

 

 

              “So,” Lexa began as she walked with Raven outside on the sidewalk. “Can I ask you about something and have you tell me if I’m being an idiot or not?”

              “I’m great at telling people when they’re being idiots.”

              “Okay so… Clarke doesn’t really seem to love med school.”

              “It’s med school,” Raven pointed out. “I don’t think anyone does.”

              “But she doesn’t get excited about it,” Lexa continued. “I don’t see the passion there, you know? It’s not my place to tell her what she should do so I haven’t really brought it up to her but I just wanted your opinion. Do you think she’s becoming a doctor for the right reasons?”

              “I get where you’re coming from,” Raven assured her friend. “Clarke pushes herself too hard and she stresses herself out. She loves taking care of people but she kind of sucks at taking care of herself. Clarke didn’t always want to be a doctor. She was big on art and wanted to pursue that but for whatever reason, she decided to go to med school and then after her father passed and the car accident, art wasn’t on her mind at all. Meeting you has restored that part of her and that alone is great.”

              “So I’m being an idiot?”

              Raven bumped Lexa with her shoulder. “No, you’re being a concerned girlfriend. Let Clarke figure it out. She knows what she wants. I know it’s hard to watch her stress out but just be there for her when she needs you. From what I’ve witnessed and have been told, you’re pretty great at that.”

              Lexa let out a breath. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Raven. Side note, I might’ve hinted to Clarke’s mom that I thought med school was bad for Clarke…”

              Raven’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “And how’d that go?”

              “We got interrupted before we could really talk about it but she’s definitely not a fan of me,” Lexa answered.

              Raven laughed. “You’ll have a chance to fix that tonight during your dinner. Just be yourself.”

              Lexa nodded. “Okay, yeah. I can do that.”

              Raven shook her head in amusement. “Have you done the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing before?”

              “My ex’s parents loved me. All parents tend to love me.”

               “Then you’ll be fine,” Raven reassured her. “Just give Abby time to come around.”

 

 

 

              Lexa looked through her closet and pulled out great slacks but before she could pull out a top to go with it, she heard Anya chastising her. “No,” Anya said as she leaned against the doorway. “You’re having dinner with Clarke’s mom not going to a board meeting.”

              Lexa sighed and hung the pants back up in the closet. “I don’t know what to wear.”

              Anya sighed as she walked into the room. “You’re overthinking it. Jeans and a nice top will suffice.”

              Lexa pulled out jeans and a simple long-sleeved Henley top— she wanted to make sure to cover her tattoo. She quickly changed into the outfit, not having any qualms about changing in front of her best friend, and then looked down at her clothes. “I’m going for the slacks.”

              Anya rolled her eyes. “No you’re not. It’ll look like you’re trying too hard. Clarke’s mom will smell your fear and you don’t want her to know you’re afraid.”

              “But I want her to see that I’m a professional.”

              Anya grinned. “Professional what? Screwer of her daughter?

              Lexa narrowed her eyes at Anya. “You’re not helping.”

              “What you’re wearing now is perfect. Just relax.” A knock sounded at the door and Anya gestured out of the room. “I’ll get that. You finish getting ready and stop acting crazy.”

              Anya made her way to the front door and opened it, grinning when she saw Clarke. “Go deal with your girlfriend.”

              Clarke seemed to already know why Anya was insisting on this. “How bad?”

              “She wants to wear dress pants,” Anya stated.

              Clarke smiled. “I’ll go calm her down.” She headed into Lexa’s room and saw the brunette looking at three pairs of shoes set out in front of her. “Hey.” She went over to Lexa and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. “You look great.”

              Lexa looked down at her jeans. “Should I dress up more?”

              “No, you look nice and you should wear the converse,” Clarke suggested.

              Lexa glanced at Clarke and felt a little better seeing the blonde in jeans. “Not the flats?”

              “Not the flats.” Clarke stepped in front of Lexa and placed her hands on her hips. “I will like you even if my mom doesn’t. I’m not going anywhere.” Clarke saw the tension leave Lexa and she smiled. “Better?”

              Lexa let out a breath. “Yes.” She kissed Clarke before resting her forehead on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “I just want her to like me. She’s your mom.”  
              “I know.” Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa. “Just be yourself. You’re pretty impressive.”

              Lexa turned her head and pressed a kiss to Clarke’s neck. “You smell nice.”

              Clarke gently pushed Lexa away as the brunette continued to press kisses along her neck. “You’re going to make us late and that won’t win you any points with my mom.”

              Lexa reluctantly pulled away from Clarke and slipped her converse on. “Okay, let’s go do this.”

             


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

              Clarke pulled up to her mother’s house and glanced over at Lexa, who was bouncing her leg up and down while holding a tray with the cheesecake she had made that morning after leaving Clarke’s apartment. The med student reached over and placed a hand on Lexa’s knee. “You’re amazing. There’s no way my mom won’t adore you by the end of the night.”

              Lexa took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Are you sure she’ll like the cheesecake?”

              Clarke smirked. “As long as you made it right.”

              “Clarke,” Lexa whined.

              “I’m kidding. I’m sure it’ll taste great.” Clarke undid her seatbelt and leaned over to kiss Lexa on the cheek. “Ready?”

              Lexa nodded and exited the car with Clarke. The two made their way to the front door and Clarke rang the bell, silently hoping tonight went well.

              Within seconds, the door opened and Abby stepped aside to let them in. “I got a late start but dinner’s almost ready and I just have to set the table.” She pulled Clarke in for a hug before turning her attention to Lexa. “Lexa, thanks for coming.”

              “Thank you for inviting me, Doctor Griffin.” Lexa held out the cheesecake. “I hope you’re in the mood for cheesecake.”

              “Lexa made it from scratch,” Clarke added as her mother took the tray from the brunette.

              “That was very sweet of you, Lexa,” Abby said. “Thank you.”

              “You’re very welcome,” Lexa replied.

              “Do you need help in the kitchen?” Clarke asked.

              “I do,” Abby replied. “You go ahead and relax in the living room. Lexa can help me.” Abby turned and headed towards the kitchen without waiting for confirmation that Lexa would actually be joining her.

              “She hates me,” Lexa whispered.

              “She does not. Do you want me to go instead?”

              Lexa shook her head. “I’ve got it. You should go relax.” Lexa made her way into the kitchen and saw that Abby was putting the cheesecake in the refrigerator. “Did you need me to do something specific, Doctor Griffin?”

              Abby closed the fridge door and looked at Lexa. “Yes, I have everything on the counter for a salad. I just need it all cut up and mixed together.”

              “On it.” Lexa moved to the sink to wash her hands before moving to the counter to begin her task. “

              Abby moved to the stove to check on the food and as she did that, she began to talk to Lexa. “How has work been?”

              Lexa was surprised by the cordial question, half-expecting to work in silence. “Pretty great. My favorite part of the job is working with the kids. They’re very enthusiastic. I can’t wait for the summer when they’re out of school and I get to work with them more.”

              “Owning a business must be stressful. Do you manage okay?”

              “It is but I really do enjoy my job,” Lexa replied. “I’m glad I made the decision to step away from law school.”

              Abby turned away from the stove to look at Lexa. “You dropped out of law school?”

              Lexa nodded. “I wasn’t too far in. I majored in business instead.”

              Abby was silent for a moment before commenting. “And you want Clarke to what? Follow in your footsteps. Drop med school and try her hand at being an artist?”

              Lexa set the knife down, stopping her actions so she could fully address Abby. “I should not have made the comment I did at the hospital and I apologize for that. I would never force my opinions onto Clarke.”

              “And what are your opinions?” Abby asked, curiously.              

              “I thought Clarke wasn’t happy being in med school. She never seems excited about the prospect of being a doctor. I’ve spoken to Raven about it, though, and I’m content to just be here for Clarke in whatever she decides. I apologize again for overstepping.”

              “Apology accepted,” Abby replied before she began to move around the kitchen, gathering plates and silverware to place in the dining room.

              Lexa had returned to her task but she felt like Abby was still unsure about her. She hoped she would be able to prove to the woman that she really did have the best of intentions for her daughter.

             

 

 

              Once the table was set and dinner was ready, the three women took their seats at the table. Clarke and Abby immediately launched into a conversation about one of the doctors at the hospital and Lexa listened intently, smiling ever now and again when Clarke would crack a joke about an intern or resident she didn’t like. When the conversation shifted to Lexa, the brunette politely answered all of Abby’s questions.

              “What do your parents do?” Abby asked.

              “My mom’s in the military and my dad is a cop,” Lexa replied.

              “Was that difficult for you growing up?”

              Lexa shrugged. “I got used to it. I grew up with Anya so I was at her house a lot when my mom was deployed and my dad worked late hours. It made me more independent at a young age.” Lexa noticed a strand of Clarke’s hair fall to her face as she ate and smiled as she moved it to rest behind the blonde’s ear. Clarke smiled her thanks and Lexa immediately dropped her hand when she remembered that Abby was watching them. She cleared her throat and continued speaking. “They’re out there making the world a better place. I can’t exactly fault them for that.”

              “Did they want you to follow in their footsteps?” Abby continued.

              “Not at all. I mean, they wanted me to be a lawyer, which is fighting crime in a less lethal way but they didn’t want me being a cop or joining the military, which is fine because I’ve never had the desire to. I’ve always been big on martial arts.”

              Clarke grinned. “Anya told me you used to run around and pretend to be a power ranger.”

              Lexa looked horrified. “She did not.”

              Clarke nodded through her laughter. “She said you’d go all out and do the morphing and everything.”

              Lexa shook her head with a small smile on her face, happy to hear Clarke laughing even if it was at her expense. “I was a cool kid.”

              “More like adorable,” Clarke laughed. “Maybe my next painting will be of you in a power ranger outfit.”

              Lexa groaned. “Don’t you dare.”

               “You’ve been painting a lot more often?” Abby asked her daughter.

              “During my break I was,” Clarke answered. “I don’t have much time with clinicals but I try to fit it in when I’m feeling inspired, which isn’t hard with Lexa around.”

              Lexa smirked. “Because you’re a fan of my face?”

              Clarke chuckled. “I’m very much a fan of your face, yes.”

              Abby’s resistance to Lexa was dwindling as she watched the two interact but she was reluctant to totally drop her guard when it came to the brunette. “Doctor Cartwig said that you’re her favorite intern and you show the most promise.”

              Clarke smiled. “Yeah?”

              Abby nodded. “Keep doing what you’re doing. People are noticing.” Abby’s phone began to ring and she sighed as she picked it up, already knowing who it would be. “Doctor Griffin… okay… just monitor her. I’ll be right in.” Abby ended the call and looked apologetically at her daughter. “I’ll be back in about an hour or less. I need to check on my patient.”

              “Okay, we’ll be here,” Clarke replied.

              “Keep eating,” Abby said as she got up. “You don’t have to wait.” The woman rushed off and once the front door could be heard closing, Lexa looked at Clarke.

              “Want to wait?”

              “Can we?” Clarke asked, fine with rewarming their food once her mother got back.

              Lexa smiled and kissed Clarke on the cheek. “I’m completely fine with it.”

              Clarke stood up from the table, tugging Lexa’s hand to get the brunette to follow her into the living room. Once there, Clarke noticed a few DVDs on the table. She picked one up and read what was written on it. She smiled and looked at Lexa. “These are family videos. Would you want to watch them with me? My dad…” Clarke paused a moment. “My dad loved filming everything.”

              “I’d love to watch them with you,” Lexa said taking the disc from Clarke before getting up to put it in the DVD player. She ejected whatever was already in the DVD player and saw a disc labeled ‘wedding day.’ She instantly felt sad for Abby and placed the DVD in one of the cases before sitting down next to Clarke. “We should try visiting your mom every other weekend or something.”

              Clarke quirked a brow. “So you finally realize she doesn’t hate you?”

              “She hates me,” Lexa replied. “But I’m sure she loves having you here. I don’t have to come with you but I wouldn’t mind. I’m sure it gets lonely being in this house alone.”

              Clarke kissed Lexa on the cheek. “You’re right. I’ll make it a point to visit more often.” As the family video started, Clarke relaxed against Lexa’s side and rested her head on the brunette’s shoulder.

             

             

             

              Forty minutes had passed and Lexa was enjoying watch the many clips of Clarke’s family. As a new clip started, Lexa felt Clarke stiffen beside her. “Hey,” she said, gently. “Are you okay?”

              Clarke nodded to the screen. “That’s my cousin Charlotte and my best friend, Wells, with my dad. This was the last time we were all together.” Tears began to spill from Clarke’s eyes. “They’re all gone.” Lexa put an arm around Clarke and pulled her closer. “I couldn’t do anything for them. I want to be able to do something for other people. I want to be someone my dad would’ve been proud of.”

              Lexa kissed the top of Clarke’s head. “You’re an amazing person, Clarke. Very talented and driven. Something tells me that he would be very proud of you already.” Lexa reached for the remote to stop the video but Clarke placed a hand on top of hers. “It’s okay. We can keep watching.”

              Lexa wiped a stray tear from Clarke’s cheek. “I’ll get you some water.” She kissed Clarke on her temple, letting her lips linger for a moment before getting up. She spotted Abby leaning against the doorway and was surprised she didn’t hear the woman come in. She remained silent when the woman placed a finger to her own lips, telling her not to announce her arrival.

              They made their way to the kitchen and Abby spoke quietly. “Thank you for what you said. Jake was always so proud of Clarke. She’s extraordinaire.”

              “She really is,” Lexa agreed. “Doctor Griffin… I know you’re not a fan of mine but I really care about your daughter. I hope you can find it in you to give me a real chance to show you just how much. I just want her to be happy.”

              Abby was silent for a beat before smiling. “Abby’s fine.” Lexa returned the smile, knowing she and Abby were going to be able to start over with a clean slate.

             

 

 

              Clarke smiled as her mom and Lexa were having a full blown conversation while they stood outside the house. They had said their goodbyes several times but the two were still talking. She wasn’t sure what had changed between the time it took her mother to go to the hospital and return but she was glad for it. “I’m taking my girlfriend home, Mom. You can talk to her later,” she said, amused.

              “Have a goodnight, Abby,” Lexa said.

              “You as well, Lexa. Thank you again for the cheesecake. And look into that documentary I told you about.”

              “I definitely will. I still can’t believe-,”

              “No,” Clarke cut them off. “No more conversation. “Let’s go.”

              Abby chuckled and held up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. Goodnight.”

              Clarke hugged her mom before heading to her car. Once inside, she looked over at Lexa with a huge smile. “You two are getting along all of a sudden.”

              “My charm just took a while to work on her is all,” Lexa replied.

              Clarke narrowed her eyes suspiciously knowing it was more than that but she let it go. She was just relieved her girlfriend and mother were on friendly terms. “Your place or mine?”

              “Let’s go to mine. Anya texted me a bit ago and told me she was spending the night with Raven.”

              Clarke smiled. “Your place it is then.”

 

 

 

              Clarke kissed Lexa up her back before resting beside her breathless girlfriend. She traced her finger along Lexa’s tattoo before moving the brunette’s hair away to place a kiss on her infinity tattoo. “You’ve never told me why you got this one.”

              “I got it a month after my break-up with Costia,” Lexa admitted. “I was in a weird mood. Everything and everyone has a limit. You wear your favorite jeans too much and eventually they’ll get a hole in them, you know? Nothing lasts forever.”

              Clarke trailed her fingers over the tattoo. “Your tattoo is about a favorite pair of jeans?”

              Lexa smirked. “No. Costia was supposed to be forever. Our love was supposed to be able to handle anything but it wasn’t hence the breaks in the infinity symbol.”

              “So you don’t believe love can last?” Clarke asked, trying to understand where Lexa’s mind was when it came to their relationship.

              “I do but if you don’t take care of that love—cherish it, then it can easily fall apart. It’s a reminder of sorts,” Lexa explained. She turned so that she was on her side facing Clarke. “I lo-,” she paused and moved her hand to Clarke’s waist. She didn’t want to tell Clarke too soon that she was in love with her. “I look forward to seeing where our relationship goes.”

              Clarke smiled, knowing Lexa was about to say she’d love her. “I want you to be it for me so how about we try not to fuck this up?”

              Lexa chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend. “That sounds like a great idea.”


	19. Chapter 19

  **Chapter Nineteen**

Weeks later…

              Lexa was at her aunt’s gallery, dressed up in her go-to black dress when it came to events like this. Clarke was supposed to have been there half an hour ago but the blonde had texted her letting her know that she would be late due to getting stuck at the hospital. Clarke hadn’t created any paintings for the showcase but she had still wanted to come to the gallery to admire everyone else’s art and she had been excited to meet Lexa’s aunt and parents.

              A man wearing a suit approached Lexa and sipped at his champagne as he looked at the painting she was absently staring at. “I’m going to start thinking you made up this amazing new girlfriend,” he joked.

              Lexa smiled and glanced at her father. “She’s most definitely real. Something came up that an attending wanted an intern for. It was a great opportunity so she’ll just be here a bit later than planned.”

              Gustus ran a hand over his neatly trimmed goatee. “Hm, I don’t know if I like her if she’s standing my daughter up.”

              “She’s not standing me up. Please be nice to her when she gets here.”

              Gustus sipped his champagne again. “She’s on my list. Do you think you can convince your aunt to start providing beer at these things?”

              Lexa smirked. “Everyone’s on your list. And no, Aunt Perry would never. Beer isn’t refined enough for an art gallery. You’re among the prestigious, Dad.”

              Gustus sighed and chugged the rest of the champagne before switching out his empty glass with a fresh one as a waiter walked by carrying a tray. “So tell me about this girlfriend of yours who you’re so smitten over.”

              Lexa blushed lightly. “Who says I’m smitten?”

              “Anya, Luna and Lincoln. And the fact that you get this goofy smile whenever someone says ‘your girlfriend’ is very telling.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes. “I’m not smitten.” Lexa’s phone vibrated in her hand and she quickly looked at it, smiling when she saw Clarke’s name popup on her screen.

              Gustus smiled and shook his head. “And apparently just seeing her name works, too.”

              “Dad,” Lexa scoffed, turning away so he couldn’t read her text from Clarke.

             

_Clarke[6:35pm]: I am so incredibly sorry. I haven’t left the hospital yet but I should be heading out soon. I promise I’ll be there._

_Lexa[6:36]: It’s okay. I understand. I’ll see you when you get here._

 

              “Did she cancel?” Gustus asked. “She’s never getting off my list at this rate.”

              “She’s just running late. You know how it is. You’ve been late to many dinners and events because of work.”

              “I guess I can give a future doctor a break,” Gustus said before sipping his drink. “It’s too bad she couldn’t paint anything for the gallery. Perry was looking forward to seeing what she could do from the way you talked her up.”

              Lexa sighed. “She’s really focused on med school. She doesn’t have much time for anything else right now.” In the last three weeks Lexa had seen Clarke a handful of times so she had also been looking forward to getting to spend time with her tonight.

              Her father quirked a brow. “If she’s not treating you right-,”

              “What? No. Dad that’s not what I’m saying. Clarke treats me right. She’s great. You’ll like her a lot.”

              Amelia Woods made her way over to her husband and daughter, placing a kiss on her daughter’s cheek before stepping back to smile at her. “No Clarke yet?”

              “She’ll be here,” Lexa said. “She’s just stuck at the hospital.”

              “The life of an intern,” Amelia replied with a smile. She had been pleased to learn that Lexa was dating a medical student. “Well, it’s okay if she can’t make it. We could always schedule something else.”

              “She’ll be here,” Lexa said, confidently.

 

 

 

              Lexa was sitting outside on the steps outside of her aunt’s gallery wearing the hoodie she had pulled out of her trunk. She felt someone sit down beside her and looked over at her father.

              “Are you just going to sit out here?” Gustus asked.

              “I wanted to say goodnight,” Lexa said. “Sorry Clarke couldn’t make it. I hope this doesn’t paint a bad picture of her for you. She’s really amazing and I- I care about her a lot. She’s just really busy.”

              Gustus smiled and patted Lexa on the knee. “I’m sure she’s a very lovely young woman and I can’t wait to meet her. I’m going to give her hell when I do, though.”

              “Just not too much,” Lexa replied with a small smile. “I don’t want you scaring her off.”

              “No promises,” Gustus replied as Amelia and Perry exited the building.

              “The night’s still young,” Perry announced. “We should go enjoy ourselves.”

              Lexa smiled and shook her head. “I just want to enjoy my bed. You guys go have fun.”

              Amelia bent down and kissed her daughter on the top of her head. “At least wait for Clarke in your car.”

              Lexa had tried calling Clarke but the phone had gone straight to voicemail and the brunette knew it had probably died. She didn’t want to leave knowing Clarke would be on her way. “Okay, I’ll see you guys later. I’ll come visit soon.” She made her way to her car and got in to wait for her girlfriend to arrive. Five minutes passed before Lexa saw Clarke rushing to the gallery doors, shoulders slumping when she tried to open them to no avail. Lexa got out of her car and began to remove her hoodie as she approached Clarke. “Hey.”

              Clarke turned around and quickly descended the steps. “Please tell me you don’t hate me.”

              Lexa placed her hoodie over Clarke’s shoulders so the blonde wouldn’t get too cold in her dress. “I don’t hate you.”

              “Thanks,” Clarke said as Lexa positioned the hoodie so it wouldn’t slip from her shoulders. “Were your parents and aunt upset?”

              Lexa shook her head. “They understand. It’s okay. We’ll plan for something else when things calm down for you. We should get going. It’s chilly out.”

              “Do you want to come over?” Clarke asked, positive the brunette was upset and keeping it to herself. She wouldn’t be surprised if Lexa wanted to just go home. “I’ve missed you these last few days. I know it’s my fault because-,”

              “It’s not,” Lexa assured her, not allowing Clarke to be hard on herself. “Your career is important. Sometimes you’ll miss things. I understand that. My family understands that. It’s okay.” She gestured to her car. “I’ll follow you in my car, okay? I’ll see you back at your apartment.”

              Clarke’s heart ached with how bad she felt right now. She wanted to be comforted by Lexa’s words but she just knew her girlfriend had to be a little upset and she wanted Lexa to express that. She would just have to coax it out of her when they got back to the apartment. 

             

 

 

              Clarke entered her apartment with Lexa and flipped on the light. “Raven’s out with Anya,” she stated as they walked further inside. “I’m going to take a shower.”

              Lexa nodded. “Can you leave the door unlocked? I’ll want to wash my face.”

              “You could just join me,” Clarke offered.

              “It’s okay. I showered right before the gallery. I’ll just change into something more comfortable.”

              Clarke bit at her bottom lip. “You look really great. I’m sorry I didn’t get to appreciate you in that dress more.” Un-upset Lexa would’ve cracked a joke about leaving the dress on so Clarke could show her just how much she appreciated it. But upset Lexa…

              “I’m sure you’ll see me in it again.” Lexa moved down the hall and entered Clarke’s room.

              Clarke sighed and went into the bathroom, hoping she’d be able to talk things out with Lexa before they went to bed. As she showered, she heard the door open and the faucet turn on. She wanted to ask Lexa if they were okay but knew right now wasn’t the right time.

              “Have you eaten?” Lexa asked after she was done.

              Clarke was silent for a moment. Had she? She couldn’t remember. There was breakfast; a lot of running around; a granola bar; more running around and- “No, I haven’t. It’s okay, though. I’m not hungry.”

              “I’ll put together something light for you,” Lexa replied before slipping out of the bathroom.

              Clarke finished up with her shower and heard Lexa moving around in the kitchen. She entered her bedroom and quickly changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. She spotted Lexa’s cell phone on the bed and paused for a moment as an idea struck her. She picked up the device and bypassed the fingerprint needed to unlock the phone by typing in the brunette’s backup password. She went to the contacts and froze for a moment unsure of which parent to call. Lexa’s dad was more lax from what she’s been told and her mother was a bit stricter. Taking a deep breath, Clarke decided to call Lexa’s mom.

              “Lexa, sweetie,” Amelia began as she answered the phone. “Did you make it home okay?”

              “Hi, Sergeant Major Woods,” Clarke began. “This is Clarke. Sorry to call you like this but I wanted to apologize for being so late and missing the chance to meet you, Mr. Woods and Lexa’s aunt. I was hoping maybe we could try for something tomorrow if that’s okay.”

              “Apology accepted. We understand that you were caught up at the hospital. We could definitely do brunch,” Amelia replied.

              Clarke could hear a man say, “Is that the girlfriend? Tell her she’s on my list.”

              “Gustus, hush,” Amelia chided.

              “Uh, brunch is perfect,” Clarke replied. “I can give you my number and we can text out the details. Can we keep this from Lexa? She’s bummed about tonight not going as planned so I want to surprise her.”

              “Of course. And we can’t wait to meet you,” Amelia said.

              After giving the woman her phone number, Clarke ended the call and set the phone down before making her way out into the kitchen where Lexa had already finished making her something small to eat. She sat down at the counter as Lexa began to wash the pan she had used. “I can do that. You cooked; you don’t have to wash dishes, too.”

              “It’s just a pan,” Lexa replied. “You go ahead and eat.”

              Clarke ate her meal while Lexa’s washing of one pan turned into straightening up the apartment. She set her plate in the sink and went over to Lexa, who was in the living room organizing the mail on the coffee table. She and Raven had both been too busy the last few days for upkeep. “Lexa.” She stopped the brunette from touching anything else and pulled her towards the couch. “Sit with me, please.” Lexa allowed Clarke to pull her onto the couch and the two sat in silence for a few seconds before Clarke spoke again. “Talk to me. I know you’re upset. We had plans and I bailed.”

              Lexa ran a hand through her hair. “You didn’t bail. You had a med school thing. You tried to make it. It’s fine.”

              “Please stop saying that. I know it’s not fine,” Clarke pushed.

              Lexa sighed. “What do you want me to say, Clarke?”

              “Just tell me how you feel.”

              “I’m disappointed,” Lexa admitted. “I really wanted you to meet my family. You’ve been so busy the last few weeks and I was looking forward to introducing you to everyone and spending tonight with you in your element—watching you be cute and nerdy about art.” Lexa sighed. “I just miss you.”

              Clarke squeezed Lexa’s hand gently. “And I miss you. I’m sorry that our night was ruined because I got stuck at the hospital. I’ll make it up to you. These last few weeks have been hectic but I’ll be better with my time. I shouldn’t have let it get to this point. Thank you for being so patient and constantly taking care of me. You’re seriously the best. I couldn’t ask for better.”

              Lexa pulled Clarke onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her. “I am pretty great, huh?”

              Clarke smiled. “You really are. You have the patience of a saint. Don’t be afraid to tell me how you’re feeling, Lexa. Sometimes I need someone to tell me to take a few steps back when I get too busy.”

              “Okay, I’ll be more vocal next time. Are you busy tomorrow?”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m all yours. We can sleep in, have a late breakfast and then do whatever you want.”

              Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke’s jaw. “That sounds nice.”

              Clarke hummed her agreement. “Know what else sounds nice?” Lexa quirked a curious brow and waited for Clarke to continue. “Going to my room so I can take care of you.” It had been two weeks since the two had been intimate but even then it had only been a quick release. She got up from Lexa’s lap and began to make her way to her room, removing her clothes as she did so.

              Lexa got up and picked up Clarke’s shirt and pants as she made her way to the room. Just as she reached the doorway, a pair of underwear hit her on the chest and she saw Clarke lying in bed naked. “Well shit, tonight’s ending better than I thought it was going to.”

              Clarke laughed. “Come here.”

              Lexa quickly undressed before getting onto the bed and straddling Clarke. “I want to take care of you first.”

              “No,” Clarke replied. “This is about you.” She pulled the brunette down for a kiss and after a few minutes of making out and teasing touches, Clarke let her hand slip between them but Lexa stopped her.

              “Wait,” Lexa pulled away and parted Clarke’s legs. “I want to do this together.” She dipped two fingers into Clarke earning a gasp from the blonde and smirked as she pulled out of her with the proof of her arousal on her fingers. She rubbed her fingers over Clarke’s clit and winked at her before positioning herself so that their clits were pressed together.

              “Ohmygod,” Clarke gasped at the feeling. “Lexa,” she moaned.

              Lexa began to move against Clarke, breathing heavily at the insane amount of pleasure running through her. Clarke moved her hips up to meet Lexa’s thrusts and she let out several loud moans and curses as the brunette worked her over.

              Clarke’s phone chimed on her nightstand several times and she knew they were text messages. “Fuck, don’t stop,” she pleaded with Lexa before stretching for her phone.

              Lexa continued to rock against Clarke but she slowed as she watched her girlfriend grab her phone. “Seriously?”

              “I said not to stop,” Clarke whined, bucking her hips to regain the pressure she had lost.

              “Kind of hard to keep going when you’re preoccupied,” Lexa pointed out.

              “It’ll be real quick,” Clarke promised. “Just keep going.” Clarke opened the message from the unknown number on her phone and read it. It was Lexa’s mom giving her a list of places they could have brunch at tomorrow. She began to type out a reply but then Lexa pressed against her in just the right way and her mouth fell open as she felt her orgasm building. She dropped the phone onto the bed and gripped the brunette’s ass as she thrusted against her. “Shit, shit, shit. Fuck, Lexa. Just like that.”

              Lexa felt her own orgasm rush through her and bit into Clarke’s shoulder as she came silently. Clarke let out a long moan as she joined Lexa in falling over the edge and after a few minutes of catching their breath, Clarke reached for her phone. “We’re in a post-orgasmic bliss,” the brunette pointed out as she laid on top of Clarke. “No texting allowed.”

              Clarke smiled as she replied to Amelia and set her phone down. “Sorry. It was my mom.”

              “Clarke, what the hell? You can’t text your mom while you’re all sweaty and naked because I’m rocking her daughter’s world. It’s weird.”

              Clarke wondered how Lexa would react when she found out that it was actually her mom she was talking to. “It’s fine. It’s not like she knows.” Clarke ran her fingers through Lexa’s hair. “You’re not tired are you?”

              Lexa scoffed. “That was just a warmup. Don’t insult my stamina.” She pushed herself up and moved down Clarke’s body. “We’re having catchup sex.”          

              “Catchup sex?” Clarke gasped when she felt Lexa’s tongue against her.

              “Yeah, we’re making up for all the sex we haven’t been having,” Lexa answered before pressing her tongue against Clarke, reveling in the sounds escaping her girlfriend. They were in for a long night.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

              Lexa was sitting in the living room with Clarke as she went over flash cards with the blonde. When she had woken up, she had found her girlfriend in the living room and decided to help her study since sleeping in didn’t appear to be something that would be taking place.

              “Vascular resistance in the upper body,” Clarke said, answering the question Lexa had just asked.

              “Correct.” Lexa placed the cards down on the coffee table. “That was the last one.”

              “Thanks for helping me,” Clarke replied, placing a hand on Lexa’s thigh. “I appreciate it.”

              “It’s no problem,” Lexa assured her. “I enjoy your thinking face. It’s pretty adorable. So in hindsight, helping you study is really just for my benefit.”

              Clarke placed a kiss on Lexa’s cheek before cuddling into her side. “Maybe next time we can use your study method. That was pretty effective last time.”

              Lexa grinned. “Well, you did pretty well right now so I can definitely reward you.” She leaned forward to kiss Clarke just as the blonde’s phone chimed from beside her.

              Clarke pulled away and picked up her phone to read the message she had received.

              “Texting during sex and now choosing your phone over a make-out session,” Lexa began. “I’m going to start feeling inadequate if you keep it up.”

              “Sorry,” Clarke said as she responded to the text from Lexa’s mom telling her that only she and her husband would be able to make it to brunch since something work related came up for Lexa’s aunt.          Lexa huffed as Clarke continued to text. “You know people are usually more secretive about their affairs.”

              Clarke reached out and playfully shoved Lexa. “I’m not cheating on you.” She finished her text to Amelia before setting her phone down. “There. Done. I’m all yours. What do you want to do?”

              “Let’s go to the gym,” Lexa said. “You’re due for a kickboxing lesson.”

              Clarke smirked. “I could think of another way to get all hot and sweaty.”

              “And I’m the insatiable one?” Lexa asked as she got up. “Move your ass, Griffin.”

              “Okay, okay.” Clarke got and followed Lexa into the bedroom so they could change into workout appropriate clothes.

 

 

              “Good, Clarke,” Lexa said when Clarke’s kick to the Muay thai pad she was holding connected strongly. The two continued on for a few more minutes before they were interrupted by someone Lexa knew Clarke wasn’t going to like at all.

              “Lexa,” the redhead greeted her. “It’s been a while. You don’t come around Trikru much anymore.”

              “Zoey, hi. Yeah, I’m not there as often as I used to be,” Lexa replied.

              “That’s too bad. I definitely miss seeing you,” Zoey smiled.

              Clarke looked at the redhead in disbelief. Not only had she rudely interrupted their lesson but she was flirting with Lexa. And wait… was Lexa smiling in response?

              “We always had fun together, huh?”

              Clarke rolled her eyes.

              “We still could,” Zoey replied.

              “Actually,” Lexa began. “I’m with someone.” She glanced at Clarke before looking back at Zoey.

              That didn’t seem to faze the redhead. “Well when that’s done you have my number.”

              “Zoey!” one of the redhead’s friends called from across the gym.

              “Sorry, I better get going. Call me, okay?” Zoey said before walking away.

              Clarke looked at her girlfriend with a quirked brow. “We always had fun together?”

              Lexa scratched the back of her head. “I didn’t know what else to say. I was trying to be nice.”  
              Clarke shook her head and began to remove her boxing gloves. “The smooth Lexa Woods didn’t know what to say?”

              Lexa bent down to pick up the Muay Thai pad. “My ex-fling talking to me in front of my girlfriend was a bit unnerving if not slightly embarrassing.”

              Clarke was surprised by that. “Embarrassing? Lexa you don’t need to be embarrassed. If anything she should be embarrassed for being so rude. What did you even see in her?”

              Lexa shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly scoping out her personality.” Lexa put the Muay Thai pad away and returned to Clarke. “We better go shower before we head out for breakfast.” Lexa waved goodbye to her staff before leaving the building with Clarke.

              “You’re upset,” Clarke stated.

              “With myself. I don’t want to have run-ins with women I’ve slept. I wish I would’ve dealt with my break-up in another way. I don’t want you seeing me differently.”

              “I could do without running into the women you’ve been with,” Clarke replied, honestly. “But you’re with me and we’re pretty serious so I’m not worried about those other women. You’re a great girlfriend, Lexa. I don’t see you any differently at all.” When they stopped at Lexa’s car, Clarke pulled her girlfriend in for a hug. “Are you okay?”

              “If we are,” Lexa replied.

              Clarke smiled and kissed the brunette. “We are. Now come on, I’m sweating like I’ve spent the better part of my morning doing things my body shouldn’t be allowed to do.”

             

 

 

 

              Lexa pulled up to the restaurant Clarke wanted to eat at and exited the car with the blonde. “I’m feeling underdressed.” Lexa had worn jeans and a Henley top while Clarke had gone for a sundress.

              “You look great, Lexa,” Clarke assured her. “I felt like dressing up.” She linked her fingers with Lexa’s and as they neared the restaurant, Lexa spotted two familiar faces at an outside table. “Clarke, look,” she pointed to the table. “Those are my parents.”

              Clarke looked over at the table only having seen Lexa’s parents in an old photo of Lexa as a teen. “Yeah, I made plans with them last night.”

              Lexa frowned. “You did? How did you get their number?”

              “I hijacked your phone,” Clarke replied. “I wanted to make up for not making it to the art gallery.”

              A thought hit Lexa and she stopped walking. “You weren’t texting your mom last night. You were texting mine. Clarke, gross.”

              “I’m sorry. You were doing really amazing things and I knew your mother would be texting me. I couldn’t not respond. I’ve already made a bad impression once.”

              “You didn’t make a bad impression,” Lexa promised her. “If you had, my parents wouldn’t want to meet you today. Thank you, by the way, for setting this up. I really do want you to meet them.”

              “And I really want to meet the people who raised such an amazing woman.”

              Gustus stood up from where he was at his table and shouted to them, “Are you two lovebirds going to join us or what?”

              Lexa blushed lightly as a few people turned their heads to look at them. “And that won’t be the last embarrassing moment during this breakfast. The two made their way to the table and Lexa smiled at her father. “Nice one, Dad. That wasn’t awkward at all.”

              Gustus shrugged. “You two were taking too long and I’ve been dying to meet this mystery girlfriend.” The man stood up and looked at Clarke.

              Clarke took in the man’s muscular form and overall ‘not to be messed with’ presence. “You’re not tall and intimidating at all.”

              Gustus laughed and gestured to his wife. “She’s the scary one.”

              Amelia stood up and shook Clarke’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Clarke.”

              Gustus held out his hand to shake Clarke’s as well. “I can’t say the same yet.”

              “Dad,” Lexa chided.

              “What? I can’t,” Gustus said as he sat down. “I don’t know if I like her yet.”

              “Mom,” Lexa said with a whine to her voice, making Clarke smile.

              “Gustus,” Amelia sighed.

              Gustus held up his hands in mock surrender.

              “So, Clarke,” Amelia began. “Lexa says you are attending medical school. That is very impressive.”

              “Thank you. It definitely keeps me busy. Speaking of which, sorry again for not making it on time last night.”

              “Really, it’s fine,” Amelia assured her. “We’re not holding it against you.”

              “She’s not,” Gustus said. “You’re on my list.”

              “So I’ve heard,” Clarke said. “How do I go about getting off this list?

              Gustus stared at Clarke for a beat before speaking. “What’s Lexa’s favorite color?”

              “Blue,” Clarke replied. “Well, a gray-ish blue. Not any blue.”

              “What’s Lexa short for?”

              “Nothing. Lexa is her full name.”

              “She has a scar. Where is it?”

              “On her side.”

              Gustus narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t like that you know that.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes. “Dad, stop interrogating my girlfriend.”

              A waitress came over to the table, breaking the conversation for a minute and once they had ordered and she had gone away, Gustus continued talking to Clarke.

              “Anya seems to like you well enough and that girl hates just about everyone,” he stated. “So I guess you can’t be too bad.”

              Clarke smiled. “I think I’m pretty decent. You’d be amazed.”

              “Are you apart of our cool tattoo club?” Gustus asked, pushing his sleeves up to show off his tattoos.

              “I actually don’t have any,” Clarke replied.

              “You should get at least one,” Gustus said. “Something fun.”  
              Amelia shook her head. “Don’t peer pressure the girl.”

              “It’s not peer pressure. It’s a suggestion.”

              Amelia looked at Clarke. “Yes, he’s always like this if you’re wondering.”

              “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Gustus said.

              Amelia reached for her water and sipped it before addressing Clarke. “So you’re big on art, correct?”

              “I am,” Clarke said, happily. “Your daughter is a wonderful muse. A majority of my new paintings are of her.”

              “Are your parents artists?” Amelia asked, curiously.

              “My mom’s a doctor, actually,” Clarke replied. “And my dad… he was an engineer.” Lexa placed a hand on Clarke’s knee to comfort her because she knew it was still hard to talk about her dad. “I got into art at a young age and it stuck.”

              “So why the doctor route instead of the artist one?” Amelia asked.

              “I like helping people,” Clarke replied. “And surprisingly enough, med school seemed like the easier route.”

              “Easier route? You must be wildly intelligent.”

              “I manage,” Clarke replied.

              “Smart and humble,” Amelia said.

              “How’d you manage to get someone like her?” Gustus asked Lexa.

              “Hey,” Lexa said in mock offense. “I’m very charming and have many amazing personality traits.”

              “You’re alright,” Clarke responded causing Gustus and Amelia to chuckle. Lexa’s mouth fell open. “I’m teasing.” She leaned over to kiss Lexa on the cheek. “You’re amazing.”

              “Dad, put her back on your list,” Lexa ordered, making Clarke laugh.

              The rest of brunch went smoothly and even long after their meals were done they stayed at the table to talk until Gustus had to go get ready for work. Lexa walked with Clarke hand-in-hand to her car with a huge smile on her face.

              “That went really well,” Clarke stated.

              “It did,” Lexa agreed. “They really like you. I could tell.”

              “I’m glad. They’re really great people.”

              When they reached the car, Lexa kissed Clarke, catching the blonde off guard. Clarke smiled into the kiss and pulled away after a few seconds. “What was that for?”

              “I-,” Lexa looked down at the ground before looking up at Clarke. “I’m just really glad that went so well.”

              Clarke had a feeling Lexa wanted to say something else and wondered how long it would take for her to finally say those three words. Maybe she would have to be the one to reveal her feelings first. “Is it okay if I paint today?”

              “You don’t have to ask me,” Lexa said.

              “I know but we’re supposed to be spending the day together and painting takes time.”

              “I love watching you paint so I don’t mind at all.” Lexa opened the car door for Clarke and the blonde kissed her before getting in. With how great Lexa always was, Clarke wanted to plan something to show the brunette just how much she appreciated her.

               


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Anya heard the knock at the apartment door and stopped talking with Raven and the rest of her friends to go answer it. “Clarke, hey,” she greeted the blonde. “Lexa’s not here yet. She’s getting the cake.” It was Lincoln’s birthday and they were throwing a surprise party for him.

              “That’s actually perfect. I wanted to talk to you,” Clarke said as she entered the apartment. “I want to do something special for Lexa but I’m not sure what to do. You know her best so I figured you could help me out.” She spotted Raven, Bellamy, Harper, Miller and Monty hanging at the kitchen counter. “Hey guys.”

              “Did I hear you say you want to do something special for Lexa?” Raven asked. “I’m suggesting a striptease followed by wild sex.”

              Anya grinned. “I’m suggesting that for myself.” Raven smirked and winked at her girlfriend.

              “I was thinking of something sweeter than that,” Clarke replied as she moved to join her friends in the kitchen.

              “That sounds pretty sweet to me,” Bellamy said, gaining an eye roll and playful shove from Clarke. “Come on, guys. Help me out.”

              “Well, I think Lexa would find it pretty sweet if you were just available,” Anya stated as she moved to stand by Raven, putting an arm over the engineer’s shoulders.

              Clarke frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

              “You’re pretty busy all the time,” Anya said. “And I get it— _she_ gets it. Med school is crazy, blah, blah, blah—but it would be nice for Lexa if you made more time for her. Maybe not cancel plans, fall asleep during movie nights or be unavailable for long stretches of time.”

              Clarke furrowed her brows. “I’ve already talked about this with Lexa but thanks for your input. I’m going to wait for Lexa in her room,” she said before walking away.

              “Anya,” Raven chided as she shrugged off her girlfriend’s arm from around her.

              “What?” Anya asked. “Like you wouldn’t have said the same if you were in my position.”

              “You didn’t have to be an ass about it, though,” Raven said.

              Anya sighed. “I didn’t mean to be. I’ll go apologize.”

              “No, give her a moment,” Raven instructed. “I’ll go talk to her.” The brunette made her way to Lexa’s room and found Clarke sitting on the bed. “Are you okay?”

              “I’m a crappy girlfriend,” Clarke said, miserably. “Lexa is so great and patient. She doesn’t complain about anything and I’m just… I’m going to mess this up, Raven. I really don’t want to lose her.”

              “You’re not losing her.” Raven sat down on the edge of the bed. “Anya was just being the protective best friend.”

              “She wasn’t wrong,” Clarke pointed out. “I told Lexa I would be better but what if my better isn’t good enough?”

              “Now you’re overthinking,” Raven stated. “You don’t have anything to worry about. You said you talked to Lexa about this already and you’re going to do better, right? Then you’re already on the right track to not messing things up.”

              Clarke placed her head on Raven’s shoulder. “You used to want to be an astronaut. What made you become an aerospace engineer instead?”

              “I knew I’d be happier as an engineer,” Raven said, simply. “Starting to have second thoughts on your future?”

              “Not starting to,” Clarke replied. “Kind of been thinking about it for a while.”

              “Because of Lexa?” Raven asked.

              “No, not at all,” Clarke replied. “I’ve always wanted to help people. I thought being a doctor was the only way I could but maybe it’s not.” Clarke shook her head. “I’m just thinking out loud. God, if my mom heard me now, she’d freak. I’ve spent so much time, energy and money on med school. I can’t be having second thoughts.”

              “You’re not stuck, Clarke. You’re great at it but medicine doesn’t have to be your calling. It’s whatever you want to do. Not your mom or Lexa or even me and Octavia.” Raven knew Clarke hated med school but she wanted the blonde to make her life altering decision herself without any outside influences.

              The door to the room opened and Lexa stepped inside. “Oh, hey. No one told me you guys were in here.” She gestured behind her. “Do I need to go?”

              Raven shook her head and stood up. “Nope, we’re done with our heart-to-heart.” She left the room and Lexa closed the door before studying Clarke for a moment.

              “Are you okay?”

              “Yeah, I’m fine. Just getting some best friend time in,” Clarke answered. She got up and kissed Lexa. “Come on, Lincoln and Octavia should be here soon.”

 

 

 

 

              Clarke had been talking to Octavia near the kitchen when she glanced to her right and spotted Lexa talking to someone who looked familiar but Clarke couldn’t quite place. “Who’s that?”

              Octavia glanced to where Clarke was looking. “Echo. She’s a bartender at Trikru.”

              “I never knew she was friends with everyone,” Clarke said, not liking how close the brunette was standing to her girlfriend.

              “She comes around once in a while. We’ve hung out a few times but you’re usually not around. She’s cool,” Octavia assured her. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her whenever she hangs with us. Besides, Lexa only has eyes for you. And speaking of Lexa, how are you two doing?”

              “We’re doing pretty well. I met her parents and that went smoothly,” Clarke answered, distractedly as she watched Lexa and Echo.

              “Were they scary? I know Lexa’s mom is in the military and her dad is a cop.”

              “Actually, they weren’t,” Clarke glanced at her friend. “They were fun to talk to. Her dad is especially entertaining.” She looked back at Lexa and narrowed her eyes as Echo moved closer to say something into Lexa’s ear, which had the brunette laughing. Clarke pulled her eyes away from her girlfriend to look at Octavia. “I’m going to go see if Lexa needs anything.”

              Octavia chuckled. “Okay, just behave yourself.”

              Clarke made her way over to Lexa, standing by the brunette’s side as she looked at Echo. “Hi.”

              Lexa smiled at the blonde’s presence and placed a hand on Clarke’s lower back as she introduced her. “Echo this is Clarke. Clarke this is Echo.”

              “Hi, Clarke,” Echo greeted her. “I’ve heard great things about you. You’ve broken a lot of girls’ hearts by taking Lexa off the market.”

              “Guess they’ll have to get by somehow,” Clarke replied.

              “Guess so.” Echo looked Clarke up and down. “Can’t say that I wouldn’t be enticed to be in a relationship if you had approached me first.” She winked at the blonde before walking away to talk to other people.

              Lexa shook her head in amusement. “She’s blunt. Sorry.”

              Clarke glanced at the bartender before looking back at her girlfriend. “Were you two a thing?”

              Lexa’s smile fell away and she looked almost uncomfortable. “Are you going to ask me that about every woman I talk to?”

              Clarke’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, that was a stupid question.”

              Lexa sighed. “We messed around a few times. She knows I’m serious about you, though, and she would never try anything. I promise she’s good people. Flirty yes, but that’s just in her nature.”

              Clarke linked her fingers with Lexa’s. “I’m not worried.” She tugged her girlfriend over to the dancing crowd.

              Lexa groaned. “Clarke, I have two left feet and no rhythm whatsoever.”

              “You don’t have to do anything but stand there,” Clarke assured her.

 

 

              Dancing with Clarke involved a lot of grinding and touching, which left Lexa very turned on and ready to abandon the party. Clarke was feeling the same way. She laced her fingers with Lexa’s and the two silently made their way to the bedroom. Once inside, Clarke pushed Lexa against the door and locked it before latching her lips onto her girlfriend’s neck.

              Lexa brought her hand up to Clarke’s hair and tugged gently in order to make Clarke break away from her neck so that she could kiss her properly. They made-out against the door and after a few minutes, Clarke began to undo Lexa’s belt buckle.

              “We can’t,” Lexa said, not making a move to stop Clarke. “Someone will come looking for us eventually.”

              “This’ll be quick,” Clarke undid the button on Lexa’s jeans and then pulled the zipper down. “Take them off.”

              Lexa pulled her jeans down and kicked them off before moving her hands to Clarke’s jeans. “Your turn.”

              Once her jeans were off, Clarke pulled Lexa away from the door and turned them around before pushing the brunette to sit on the edge of the bed. Lexa watched as Clarke dropped to her knees before her and raised her hips as Clarke pulled her underwear down her long legs.

              Clarke pushed Lexa’s knees apart and grinned up at her as she brought her hand between Lexa’s legs, pinching her clit lightly between her thumb and pointer finger. “What do you want?”

              Lexa let out a shaky breath and laid back so that she was on her elbows. “You. Just touch me.”

              Clarke grinned. “I am touching you.”

              “Clarke,” Lexa whined.

              Clarke pulled her hand away and ran her tongue over Lexa. As she pleasured her girlfriend, she tuned in to the brunette’s breathing. Lexa wasn’t vocal but the way her breath would catch in her throat or the way her breathing became more erratic let Clarke know that her girlfriend was enjoying herself. She began to suck harder, pressing her hand down on Lexa’s stomach to keep her from bucking up too much.

              Clarke heard a low moan escape Lexa as she came and continued her actions until the brunette was pushing her head away. “Damn,” Lexa breathed out. “You’re too good at that.” Clarke pressed kisses along the brunette’s thighs while she came down from her high and when she could finally move, Lexa positioned herself so that she was lying in the middle of the bed.  “Come here,” she beckoned.

              Clarke got onto the bed and straddled the brunette.

              “Higher,” Lexa instructed.

              Clarke quirked a brow. “Higher?” Realization hit her and a pool of wetness escaped from between her legs. “Shit, seriously?”

              “Yeah, seriously,” Lexa replied. “If you want to.”

              “Just tell me if I’m hurting you,” Clarke said before moving so that she was straddling Lexa’s face. “Is this okay?”

              “Yes, just stay quiet okay?” Lexa said.

              “No promises,” Clarke replied.

              Lexa stuck her tongue out and ran it over Clarke and the blonde moaned as she gripped the headboard. “Fuck, Lexa.” The brunette continued to tease Clarke, holding her thighs so she couldn’t grind down onto her tongue. Clarke let out a huff of frustration. “Lexa, please. I need you. Stop tea-, oh god.” Clarke let out a loud moan as Lexa sucked her clit into her mouth and began to lash her tongue over it repeatedly.

              Clarke’s mouth fell open and she gripped one hand tighter to the headboard while the other one went down to tangle in Lexa’s hair as she finally came. “Fuck! Shit, Lexa!” Lexa continued her actions, not slowing down for Clarke to recover from her first orgasm and she quickly sent the blonde over the edge again. “Oh god.”

              Lexa loosened her grip on her girlfriend and Clarke used what was left of her energy to rest beside Lexa. The brunette pulled Clarke in closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you okay?”

              Clarke let out a hum and closed her eyes for a few minutes. She could definitely fall asleep right now but she knew they should go back out to the party. “We should get up.”

              Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke’s lips. “I like it here.”

              “So do I but we can’t be that couple who misses a friend’s birthday party because we put ourselves in a sex-induced coma.” Clarke reluctantly got up and wobbled a bit at first causing Lexa to laugh. “Shut up,” Clarke picked up Lexa’s jeans and underwear and tossed it at her.

              Lexa stood up and pulled her underwear on. “So my aunt is throwing a charity event. It’s art related so I thought you might be interested in being my plus one. You can even bring a painting if you want. If you sell it, a percent of the proceeds will go to charity.”

              “When is the event?” Clarke asked, hoping it fit in with her schedule.

              “In two weeks,” Lexa replied as she pulled her jeans on. “It’s on a Saturday night. If you’re too busy or whatever, it’s fine. I’ve got someone else who could join me.”

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair as she frowned at her girlfriend. “You have a backup plus one?”

              Lexa shoved her hands into the back of her jeans. “Yeah, just in case. It’s no big deal.” Lexa could tell Clarke was upset. “But judging by the way you’re looking at me, I guess it is.”  
              “It’s like you’ve already decided I won’t be there,” Clarke began.

              “Well there’s a chance you won’t be, Clarke. I understand that you have a busy schedule. I just don’t want you to feel pressured to join me.”

              “I feel like you have no faith in me, Lexa,” Clarke said, angrily. “It’s like you’re inviting me out of obligation and not because you actually want me to bother showing up.”

              “It’s not like that, Clarke. You’re reading too much into this. I just know what to expect with you.” Lexa regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth.

              “Great. Glad I’m such a disappointment,” Clarke said, dryly, as she moved to the door.

              “Clarke, wait,” Lexa said. “That came out wrong. Can we just talk about this, please?”

              “I don’t want to talk right now,” Clarke said, calmly. “It’s Lincoln’s birthday and we should go celebrate.”

              Before Lexa could say anything else, the blonde slipped out of the room and closed the door. Lexa sighed, wanting to go after her girlfriend but she agreed that now wasn’t the right time. She just hoped when the party was over, Clarke would be willing to talk things out.            


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

 Two hours had passed and Clarke and Lexa had yet to speak. Lexa was currently leaning against a wall with Anya while she watched Clarke talking to Raven and Octavia.

              “You two seem off tonight,” Anya pointed out. “Is everything okay?”

              Lexa sighed. “I kind of messed things up a little bit. She’s pissed at me.”

              Anya made a guilty face. “It doesn’t have anything to do with what I said to her earlier does it?”

              Lexa turned her gaze to her best friend and furrowed her brows. “What did you say to her?”

              Anya took a sip of her drink before answering. “It started with her wanting advice on doing something special for you and I might’ve suggested that she just be present. You know, not cancel plans and whatnot.”

              “Anya,” Lexa said, disbelievingly.

              “I was just looking out for you. I didn’t mean to be a bitch about it. I just know you miss her when you don’t get to spend time together after a few days.”

              “It’s a touchy subject,” Lexa informed her. “Clarke is busy and when she’s not, she’s tired and/or studying. She tries, Anya. She does. It’s not like I’m the only one putting in effort. I don’t want you to think that. I get that Clarke’s your friend, too, but next time you have an opinion about our relationship can you please address me about it first so I can tell you whether or not you’re justified in feeling that way?”

              “Yeah, I can do that,” Anya promised. “I’m sorry if what I said fueled your fight.”

              “It wasn’t really a fight,” Lexa replied. “It was more of a… I don’t know—miscommunication.”  She looked back over at Clarke, who was smiling as she spoke to everyone but Lexa could tell it wasn’t quite reaching her eyes. She wanted to go over to her girlfriend but wanted to respect her space until she was ready to talk. Sighing, Lexa gestured to the balcony. “I’m going to step outside for a bit.” She made her way outside and the cold night air made her want to step back inside but she moved to the railing and leaned her arms against it before looking up at the stars.

              A few minutes passed before Lexa heard the door slide open and shut. She didn’t bother looking behind her but then she felt a hoodie being draped over her shoulders. “It’s a little chilly out,” she heard Clarke say.

              Lexa stood up straight and turned to look at the blonde. “Thanks.”

              “You’re welcome.” Clarke was silent for a beat before gesturing behind her. “I’m a little partied out so I’m going to head home.”

              Lexa shifted on her feet. “You don’t have to go. You can take my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

              “You’ll be ready for bed before this party dies down,” Clarke pointed out. “I’m not kicking you out of your room.”

              “It’s okay. I was planning on staying up late anyway,” Lexa lied.

              “We’ll just sleep in the same bed,” Clarke said. “If you’re okay with that.”

              “I am,” Lexa assured her.

              “I’m going to go say goodnight to everyone. I guess I’ll see you in a bit.”

              Lexa watched Clarke head back inside and moved to sit down on the chair in the corner of the balcony. She wasn’t in the mood to socialize and she didn’t want to go to her room too soon. Twenty minutes passed and several people had come to check on her before Lexa decided to go to go join Clarke. She bid everyone a goodnight and hesitantly made her way to her bedroom. Once inside, she saw Clarke resting against the headboard as she sketched in one of Lexa’s notebooks.

              Clarke looked up as Lexa lingered by the door. “Getting ready for bed?”

              “Yeah, if that’s okay,” Lexa said, not wanting to interrupt Clarke. “Or maybe we could talk. We should probably talk.”

              “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Clarke said as she closed the notebook. “Let’s just go to bed.”

              Lexa nodded and silently changed into shorts and a t-shirt before turning off the light and getting onto her bed. Her first instinct was to cuddle up to Clarke but she remained where she was, leaving the gap between them.

 

 

             

              Clarke jolted awake, gasping as she returned to reality. She looked over beside her and let out a relieved breath when she saw that Lexa was still in bed with her.  

              “Hey,” Lexa said, tiredly, as she sat up. “It’s okay.” She placed her hand on Clarke’s back and began to rub in circles. “You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry,” she said, feeling bad for waking Lexa up. “Go back to bed, okay?”

              “Do you want to talk about it?” Lexa asked, knowing it would take Clarke a while before she went back to bed.

              “No, it’s okay. I’m fine,” Clarke said as she laid back down. Things were quiet between them for a few minutes but Clarke knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep anytime soon and she could tell that Lexa was still up. “I’m sorry I’m so busy.”

              “Clarke,” Lexa began as she moved to lie on her side. “You don’t have to apologize for that. I knew the kind of hectic schedule you had before we started dating. I don’t expect you to drop everything just because we’re dating. I was a law student once, remember? I started up my own gym. A very successful one at that. I know what busy is.”

               Clarke let out a breath. “I’m just used to having to apologize. Finn was always irritated when I didn’t have time for him.”

              “Well, I know how amazing you are and you being busy only makes me appreciate the time we do get to spend together a lot more.”

              Clarke wanted to be comforted by Lexa’s words but she still had that nagging feeling in the back of her head. “You might not feel that way a month from now. There are plenty of women you could be with that have more free time than I do. They could devote themselves to a relationship.”

              “I don’t want any of them,” Lexa stated. “I want you. I chose you. I’m not going anywhere. Besides, I’m afraid of what Octavia would do to me if I break-up with you.” 

              Clarke reached out to poke Lexa in her side. “That’s not funny.”

              Lexa pulled Clarke closer. “I’m kidding. I’m completely in love with you so you’re kind of stuck with me.” Lexa realized what had escaped her mouth and she pulled away from Clarke. “I mean, I’m…,” Lexa wasn’t sure how to talk her way out of this at all.

              Clarke laughed lightly. “Are you trying to take back that you’re in love with me?”

              “Yes? Wait, no. I just… I didn’t mean to say it so soon. You don’t have to say it back.”

              Clarke smiled and leaned over to kiss Lexa gently on the lips. “I love you too, you idiot.”

              Lexa’s eyes shined with happiness. “Really?”

              “Yes, really,” Clarke laughed. “We exchanged ‘I love yous’ like three weeks ago. You were half-asleep when you said it and when I said it back you were already knocked out. I’ve been waiting to see when you’d say it again.”

              Lexa shook her head. “I would butcher our first ‘I love yous.’ I used to be smoother than this.”

              Clarke leaned forward and kissed the brunette. “You kind of butchered this one, too. You tried to take it back. I don’t know how you were such a heartthrob with the ladies. You’re a giant nerd.”

              Lexa grinned as she pulled Clarke closer. “I just feel comfortable enough around you to let it out.” Lexa grew serious and reached for Clarke’s hand as she spoke her next words. “I’m sorry for what I said before. I didn’t mean anything by it. And getting a back-up plus one was only so you wouldn’t feel bad if you couldn’t make it. It wasn’t me insinuating that you would let me down. I’m sorry that it came out that way.”

              Clarke sighed. “I got more upset than I should have. I’m just frustrated with not being able to do more things with you and hearing that you asked someone else to go with you just hurt my feelings. Just out of curiosity, who did you ask?” 

              “I definitely didn’t mean to hurt your feelings and I’m really sorry that I did,” Lexa replied. “And I asked Lincoln. He’d enjoy himself at an event like that.”

              Clarke felt stupid for thinking Lexa would actually invite a past fling. “Good choice. _Safe_ choice.”

              Lexa smiled and kissed Clarke on her forehead. “Are we okay now?”

              “We are,” Clarke assured her. “Let’s try to get some sleep.”

 

 

 

              Clarke awoke the next morning, smiling when she felt Lexa’s arm firmly around her as if she were afraid Clarke wouldn’t be there when she woke up. Clarke rubbed her hand up and down Lexa’s arm and remained in bed for a few minutes. Deciding to get up and make her girlfriend breakfast, Clarke gently pried Lexa’s arm from around her but as she did so, Lexa woke up.

              “Stay,” Lexa mumbled as she tightened her hold around Clarke once more.

              Clarke smiled. “I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Lexa loosened her hold and when Clarke got up, she grabbed the blonde’s pillow and cuddled into it. “Too cute,” Clarke said as she left the room.

              After using the bathroom, Clarke made her way into the kitchen where she found Anya making breakfast. “Morning,” she said as she moved to sit at the counter.

              Anya glanced behind her shoulder at Clarke. “Hey. About yesterday, I was harsher than I meant to be.”

              “It’s cool. I get that you are only looking out for Lexa.” Clarke really didn’t have any hard feelings about it.

              Anya turned off the stove and dished the contents out onto two plates before turning to look at Clarke. “Lexa’s like a sister to me and I don’t want what happened with Costia to happen again, you know?”

              “Costia was all about her career near the end of things and I’m not knocking that but she never even tried. She half-assed the relationship and Lexa wanted things to work so she never said anything. I don’t want that to happen again. Lexa deserves more than that. I’m not telling you to focus less on med school. I’m totally here for you being a bad ass doctor. I just want to make sure you don’t forget about Lexa in the process.”

              “You’re absolutely right. She doesn’t deserve a one-sided relationship and that’s not what we have. I’m all in.”

              “That’s good to hear,” Anya said. “I’m sorry again for sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.”

              “You’re forgiven,” Clarke assured her.

              Anya gestured to the two plates on the counter. “Want breakfast? I can make you and Lexa something.”

              “Actually, I was looking forward to making Lexa breakfast myself. Thank you, though.”

              Anya smiled. “No problem.” She grabbed two forks from the utensil drawer along with the two plates and made her way to her bedroom where Raven was waiting. 

              Clarke let out a breath, feeling better after having that conversation with Anya. She knew she wasn’t around often but she didn’t want people thinking Lexa was the only one who put effort into their relationship. Standing up, Clarke made her way to the fridge to see what she would cook for her girlfriend.

 

 

 

              Clarke was finishing up with making her and Lexa an omelet when she felt arms encircle her waist and then a nose nuzzling her neck. “Good morning to you, too.”

              Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke’s neck before resting her chin on her shoulder. “So I’m pretty sure you told me you loved me last night but I can’t recall if it was a dream or not. I think I need to hear it from you just in case.”

              Clarke snorted out a laugh. “You’re so cute. Are you going to get dorkier the longer we’re together?”

              Lexa pressed a kiss to the crook of Clarke’s neck. “You love it.”

              “I do,” Clarke confirmed. “And I love you.”

              Lexa beamed at hearing those words. “I love you, too. That smells amazing, by the way.”

              “I’m almost finished up here if you need the stove to make your own,” Clarke replied with a grin as she kept her attention on the pan.

              Lexa’s hands moved so that they were gripping Clarke’s waist. “I could entice you to make me breakfast.” She moved her hand down to Clarke’s thigh and rubbed her thumb gently at the skin there.

              Clarke contemplated letting Lexa go further but thoughts of Anya and Raven catching them made her return to reality. “Behave yourself. Your roommate and my best friend could walk in on us.”

              Lexa scoffed. “Like they’re leaving their sex cave anytime soon. They’re probably still asleep.”

              “They’re not,” Clarke replied. “Anya was out here earlier. We talked.”

              Lexa moved her hand back to Clarke’s waist and hesitantly asked, “Are you two cool?”

              “We are,” Clarke replied. “She’s just looking out for you so I couldn’t be too upset with her.” She turned off the stove and placed the omelet onto a plate. “So what do you want to do today?”

              Lexa released Clarke and grabbed two glasses from one of the cabinets as Clarke moved to the dining table. “I’m supposed to stop by my parents’ place to clean out my old room. It hasn’t been touched in years. You can bring your study material and sketchbook and come along if you want. Please don’t feel obligated. I know that doesn’t sound like the most appealing thing to be doing.”

              Clarke sat down at the table and looked over at her girlfriend. “Actually, I would love to see your parents again and it’d be great to see where you grew up.”

              Lexa poured orange juice into each glass before making her way to the table. “They’ll be ecstatic to hear that you’ll be there but we have a couple hours before that. Do you have your study material with you?”

              “Just my flash cards,” Clarke replied.

              “We can go over them.” Lexa offered. “I know how you get when you don’t get any studying in.” She grinned. “We can even use my method.”

              Clarke smiled, knowing Lexa was offering because she genuinely wanted to help her study. “I swear sometimes you’re not even real. Like, I dreamt you up one day and here you are.”

              Lexa mirrored the smile. “I have a birth certificate that’ll show you that’s not how I got here _but_ I definitely feel soulmate vibes here,” she gestured between them.

              Clarke thought that over. “Yeah, soulmates. We were made for each other.” She leaned over to kiss Lexa and the two forgot about their breakfast as they got lost in each other.

             


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

              Clarke was going through one of Lexa’s desk drawers since the brunette had told her she could dump anything that didn’t look memorable. As she was doing that, she came across a picture of Lexa with an arm around who she was assuming was Costia. “Do you want this?” She held the picture up so Lexa could see it.

              Lexa ran a hand through her hair and looked over at Clarke. She saw the photo and smiled as she went over to take it. “Our better days.” She placed the photo into the trash pile before placing a kiss on Clarke’s temple and moving back to where she had been.

              Clarke smiled at the action but she couldn’t help but probe Lexa for information about her ex. “Do you ever miss her?” Clarke knew the two had been together for a long time and wasn’t sure how quickly she’d get over someone after that long. “I mean, now that you’re with me, do you ever still miss her?”

              “Not in that way,” Lexa replied, giving her full attention to Clarke. “I miss her friendship. We were close. Have you ever just stuck with something because you thought it was the right choice? It didn’t make you happy but it was comfortable? You devote all your time to it and you don’t want to just let it go even though you know you’d be that much happier without it? Well, that’s basically what my relationship with Costia was like near the end. After four years together, I didn’t want to let her go without trying, you know? It was draining since I was putting all the effort in and not getting anything back. Things should have ended a lot sooner than they did.”

              “Yeah, I get that.” Clarke’s first thoughts were of med school. She had devoted so much time to it and thinking about quitting made her feel like a failure. She could only imagine how her mother would react. And despite how stressed she was when it came to her studies, med school did make her feel comfortable. It was the safer choice. Starving artist didn’t exactly appeal to her but maybe—just maybe she would be happier that way.

              “Anyway, I’m rambling,” Lexa said as she got back to work. “I’m happy now with you.”

              Clarke pushed thoughts of her future to the back of her mind and pulled a notebook out of Lexa’s desk drawer. She began to flip through it, smiling when she saw a bunch of sketches done by a younger Lexa. She continued to scan through it, laughing lightly when she saw a comic Lexa had created. “The adventures of Lexa and Anya?”

              Lexa’s eyes widened and she quickly moved to snatch the notebook but Clarke moved it out of her reach. “Hold on. I want to read this.”

              “Clarke,” Lexa whined. “I was about fourteen when I did those.”

              “Those? There’s more?” Clarke put the notebook behind her back as Lexa grabbed for it again but the brunette backed her up against the desk, planting her hands on either side of the desk, trapping her.

              Lexa smirked. “You’ve got nowhere to go, Griffin.”

              Clarke quirked a brow. “Am I supposed to be afraid?”             

              Lexa nodded. “Very.” She leaned forward to kiss her girlfriend and it was only a matter of seconds before things became heated.

              As they kissed, Clarke brought the notebook out and opened it from behind Lexa. She broke the kiss and laughed. “Ohmygod, is this about you as a superhero?”

              Lexa frowned and glanced behind her, groaning in embarrassment when she saw the notebook. “Clarke,” she huffed as she moved to sit down on the edge of her bed.

              “This is so cute,” Clarke assured her.

              “It’s stupid,” Lexa blushed. “I used to be a geek for comic books. You can toss that.”

              Clarke shook her head. “I’m totally keeping it. We can go through it later. Am I going to find trading cards next?” She asked as she returned to searching through the drawer.

              Lexa scoffed. “I have my limits.” She moved to her closet and was relieved to see that it was basically empty aside from her old skateboard and a few trinkets.

              Clarke saw Lexa pull the skateboard out and grinned. “Why am I not surprised you know how to skateboard?”

              “Because you know I’m seriously talented.” Lexa admired the board and let out a sigh. “My mom hated this thing.” She set it down and looked at Clarke. “Any interest in learning?”

              “Absolutely not,” Clarke replied. “I like my bones intact.”

              There was a knock on the already open door and they turned their heads to see who it was.

              “Lexa, you plan on working your girlfriend without letting her have lunch?” Gustus asked.

              “I was going to feed her eventually,” Lexa replied, jokingly. “I don’t even think she deserves a break. She’s been making fun of me more than helping.”

              Gustus grinned. “There’s a lot to make fun of.”

              Lexa looked at her father in mock offense. “That’s not true.”

              Gustus looked at Clarke. “Did you know she has an obsession with flowers?”

              “Obsession is an over exaggeration,” Lexa stated. “I simply enjoy them.”

              “She used to sketch them all the time,” Gustus continued. “And that’s nothing. There was-,”

              “Mom!” Lexa yelled, cutting her father off.

              Gustus sighed. “You can’t fight your own battles?”              

              “This makes it easier,” Lexa grinned.

              “Gustus leave Lexa alone! All of you come down for lunch!”

              Gustus looked at Clarke and whispered. “We’ll talk about this later.”

              Lexa playfully shoved her dad. “I can hear you.”  
              Clarke smiled in amusement as the two bantered on their way downstairs and when she reached the kitchen, Amelia gave her a sympathetic look.

              “You get used to it,” Amelia assured her. Gustus currently had Lexa in a headlock and was rubbing his fist to her head. Lexa’s mom sighed and gestured for Clarke to follow her out into the living room while her husband and daughter goofed off.

              Amelia handed Clarke a bowl with the salad she had made and Clarke thanked her before sitting down on the couch.

              “So,” Amelia began. “How are you and Lexa doing? Is she treating you, right?

              Clarke smiled. “Pretty well. And she is. You have an amazing daughter. She’s definitely more than I deserve.”

              Amelia returned the smile. “I’m sure that’s not true. You both seem to be equally deserving of each other. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her this happy. I hope you’re serious about her.”

              Clarke sat up straighter. “I am, Sergeant Major Woods.”

              Amelia laughed lightly. “Relax, Clarke. And please, call me Amelia.”

              Clarke heard Lexa’s laugh and smiled at the sound. Seconds later the brunette ran through the living room and ducked behind the couch just as a foam dart flew past Clarke’s head.

              Amelia shook her head. “Gustus, you almost hit Clarke.”

              “Lexa’s fault for hiding there,” Gustus said as he walked further into the living room. He crept slowly towards the couch and when he peered behind it, he didn’t see his daughter. “Where’d you go?” He called out. “If you don’t show yourself, I’ll show Clarke your most embarrassing baby photos.”

              Gustus felt a dart hit him in the back and sighed in defeat as he turned around. “You’re not my favorite child.”

              “I’m your only child,” Lexa said as she moved to sit down beside Clarke.

              “I might have a family in another state,” Gustus stated.

              “Like anyone else could deal with you,” Lexa fired back.

              Gustus placed two hands over his heart. “You wound me.”

              “If you two are done, please join us for lunch,” Amelia said, not fazed by their behavior at all.

              Lexa set the toy gun on the coffee table and her mother cleared her throat, which caused the brunette to pick it up and toss it to her father so he could put it away. Her mother didn’t like any junk in the living room. The brunette looked to Clarke and brushed a strand of hair from her girlfriend’s face. “Want anything to drink?”

              Clarke smiled. “Water would be good. Thanks.”

              Lexa looked to her mother. “Mom?”

              “Water as well. Thanks, sweetie.”

              Lexa and Gustus left the room and Amelia looked at Clarke. “This is them tame. You should see them during family gatherings. Clarke hoped that one day she would be able to.

 

 

              Later that night, Clarke entered her apartment with Lexa. They had spent their entire day with Lexa’s parents and she had enjoyed herself immensely.

              “Sorry again that we were at my parents’ place for so long. I know you probably had other things you wanted to do.”

              Clarke flipped the light on in her room and glanced behind her at Lexa. “I enjoyed spending time with your parents. Besides, I was free to do whatever you wanted to do today. I had no plans.”

              “Well, the night’s still young,” Lexa said, suggestively as she moved closer to Clarke.

              Clarke grinned. “It is,” she agreed. “Did you have something you wanted to do?” She glanced down at Lexa’s lips before meeting her gaze once more.

              Lexa leaned in and barely touched Clarke’s lips with her own before pulling away. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

              Clarke let out a breathy laugh as she lightly pushed at Lexa’s shoulder. “You’re an ass but I could totally go for some ice cream.”

              The two left the apartment and Lexa drove them to a nearby ice cream parlor. After getting their ice cream cones, the two walked hand-in-hand around the area.

              “This is like a mini-date,” Clarke said, happily.

              Lexa smiled. “Yeah, I guess it is. This is nice.”

              “Can’t argue there,” Clarke agreed before tasting her ice cream. After a few seconds of walking in silence, Clarke decided to voice something that she had been feeling. “Today made me really miss my dad. We used to joke around a lot. He would’ve really liked you and your family.”

              Lexa remembered seeing family videos of Clarke’s dad and knew that Jake would’ve fit right in. “I wish I would’ve been able to meet him.”

              “Me too. He never liked anyone I dated because he never thought they were good enough but he would have loved you,” Clarke said, confidently. “Thanks for being so good to me.”

              Lexa placed a kiss on Clarke’s cheek. “Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be.” She draped her arm over Clarke’s shoulders and the blonde reached up to lace their fingers together as the brunette’s hand dangled from over her shoulder. “I’m glad we took a chance on each other.”

              “It was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Clarke agreed. And maybe it was time for her to make another important life decision. She just hoped in the end it would be the right one.

 

 

 

A few weeks later…

 

              Clarke entered a café and looked around until she spotted her mother. She made her way over to the woman and sat down. “Hey, thanks for having lunch with me on such short notice.”

              “Of course,” Abby replied. “We haven’t sat down like this in a while. Is everything okay?”

              Clarke ran a hand through her hair. “I hope so. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

              Abby could tell that her daughter was nervous and furrowed her brows as she reached her hand across the table to put her hand on top of Clarke’s. “What’s going on?”

              Clarke took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking a lot about certain aspects of my life and I have made a decision that I want to share with you.”

              Abby’s eyes lit up. “Have you decided on a specialty?”

              Clarke brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck. Part of her wanted to just say yes and move on but she knew she had to do this. “Not exactly. I’ve decided that it would be best if I left med school.”

              Abby’s eyes widened. “Drop med school? Clarke, why would you want—Lexa talked you into this didn’t she?”

              “No, Mom. She didn’t. She doesn’t even know about this.”

              “You’ve always wanted to go to med school,” Abby stated. “It’s your dream.”

              “I thought it was,” Clarke replied. “I double majored. I have a degree in art. I want-,”

              “Art?” Abby repeated in disbelief. “Clarke that’s ridiculous. You can’t support yourself with art. I don’t believe that Lexa has nothing to do with this.”

              “Stop,” Clarke said, sternly, voice low as to not draw attention to their table. “Lexa supports me being in med school just like she’ll support me deciding to drop it for nursing school.”

              “Nursing school?” Abby shook her head. “Clarke, what are you doing? You have great potential as a doctor.”

              “Nursing will give me a less hectic schedule and I’ll be able to focus more on art,” Clarke explained. “I like helping people; I’ll still be doing that just not in the way you thought I would be.”

              Abby shook her head. “I don’t support this.”

              “Mom,” Clarke began.

              “No, Clarke,” Abby cut her off. “You’re ruining your future. What would your father say?”

              Clarke clenched her jaw as she narrowed her eyes at her mother. “He would’ve supported me. He would want me to be happy and he would have been proud of me for making this hard decision.” Clarke stood up from the table. “I don’t want our relationship to be ruined again but I won’t let you make me feel bad about this. I’m dropping med school and I’m not changing my mind.” Clarke left the café and when she entered her car, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling from her eyes.

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

              Raven and Octavia were sitting on Clarke’s bed as she told them about the conversation with her mother. Clarke was sad and angry by her mother’s reaction but she knew she should’ve known the woman wouldn’t react well. She had just hoped her mother would accept that she wasn’t happy being in med school.

              “She just needs time to take in the news,” Raven said. “She’ll come around.”

              “Yeah,” Octavia agreed. “She’ll probably have to go through the twelve-steps of grieving or something to process it.”

              “I thought she’d at least try to understand,” Clarke said. “I wasn’t happy. I could become a doctor but at the end of the day that’s not what I truly want. Being a nurse would be something stable to pay the bills while I delve into art the way I want to. She wasn’t even happy that I was staying in the medical field in some way.”

              “Do you want us to talk to her?” Octavia offered. “We can try to get her to understand.”

              “No, if she wants to ruin our relationship again, then that’s up to her,” Clarke said, angrily. “I’m going to rest for a bit.”

              Raven pulled Clarke in for a hug. “We’re proud of you for making that tough decision.”

              “We know it couldn’t have been easy,” Octavia added. “Just give your mom a few days.”

              The two left the room, hoping Abby would realize being unsupportive would just push Clarke away.

              Clarke laid back in bed, looking up at the ceiling, wondering if all the progress she had made with her mother was about to be lost simply because the woman couldn’t accept her choice. Her phone buzzed from beside her and she reached for it, smiling when she saw that it was a text from her girlfriend.

 

              _Lexa[1:05pm]: Still on for the charity event tonight?_

Clarke wasn’t in the mood to be social but she would definitely put on her happy face and go so she wouldn’t let Lexa down.

_Clarke[1:05pm]: I’m absolutely going._

_Lexa[1:05]: Bringing a painting?_

_Clarke[1:6pm]: I can’t decide which one to give up._

_Lexa[1:06pm]: Boat painting?_

_Clarke[1:06pm]: Sentimental value, Lexa! I’ll decide soon._

_Lexa[1:07pm]: My parents want to meet your mom. Is that okay with you? Think she’ll be able to join us?_

             

              Clarke froze for a moment wondering if she should tell Lexa what happened but she knew the brunette would drop everything she was doing to come see her. She just wanted to get through the night and deal with everything tomorrow.

 

              _Clarke[1:08pm]: No._

_Lexa[1:08pm]: No she can’t make it or no it’s not okay with you?_

_Clarke[1:09pm]: She’s busy. I’ll see you tonight. Go finish helping your aunt prep._

_Lexa[1:09pm]: Do you want to tell me what’s wrong now or…?_

_Clarke[1:09pm]: Nothing’s wrong. Go do work._

_Lexa[1:109]: I love you._

Clarke read the words and immediately felt a little better. She smiled and replied with an ‘I love you’ of her own before setting her phone down. Lexa’s birthday was coming up in two months and she wanted to get started on making a few comic strips about the Commander and her Sky Princess to surprise her.

 

 

              Clarke arrived at the art gallery and stepped in carrying the painting she wanted to sell. She spotted a few people setting things up for when the event would start in about half an hour but she didn’t see Lexa anywhere.  

              “Clarke, it’s good to see you,” Luna said as she approached the blonde. “Here, I’ll take that and get it hung up for you.”

              “Thanks,” Clarke said, handing it over.

              Luna held the painting at arm’s length as she looked it over. “Holy shit, this looks amazing. Is this Lexa?”

              Clarke blushed lightly at the praise. “It is.” It was one of her earlier paintings of Lexa as the Commander. She was holding two swords and poised in a fighting stance as she stood in an arena type setting.

              Luna looked around until she spotted who she was looking for. “Mom, come meet Clarke and look at her painting of Lexa.”

              Perry walked over to her daughter and stopped to admire the painting. She glanced at Clarke before looking back at her artwork. “You did this?”

              “Yes, ma’am,” Clarke replied, nervously.

              “Your lines are amazing and the use of space and color— you’re phenomenal.” Perry took the painting from Luna. “Lexa wasn’t exaggerating when she said how talented you are.”

              Clarke smiled. “Thank you, ma’am.”

              Perry laughed lightly. “Please call me Perry. I’m going to hang this up. Lexa should be back soon. She had an errand to run. I’ll come find you once I’m done putting the final touches on things. Help yourself to something to eat if you’re hungry.” She nodded over to the long table near the wall where appetizers had been set up.

              Perry walked off and Luna linked her arm with Clarke’s. “Looks like you’ve already won her over. Come on, let’s take advantage of getting first dibs on the snacks.”

 

 

 

              Clarke was sipping on a glass of wine while talking to Gustus and Amelia when she felt a hand on her waist and a kiss on her cheek. A single rose appeared in front of her face and she smiled as she took it.

              “Where have you been?” Clarke asked as Lexa came into view. There were five more minutes until the charity event began and she hadn’t heard from Lexa since she arrived.

              “I had a few things I needed to do,” Lexa answered. “Then I wanted Anya to drop me off so we could drive back together so I had to wait for her to be ready.”

              Clarke twirled the rose between her fingers. “Thank you for the rose.”

              “You’re very welcome,” Lexa replied before looking at her parents. “May I borrow my girlfriend?”

              “Bring her back soon,” Amelia said. “She was just telling us about this Grounder world you two created. That painting of you is amazing. Perry absolutely loves it.”

              Lex quirked a brow. “Me?” She looked at Clarke. “You chose a painting of me?”

              “Of course I did.” Clark reached up to cup Lexa’s face gently. “This face is great inspiration.” Lexa smiled and leaned forward to kiss Clarke.

              “Come on, Amelia. Let’s give Lexa and Clarke space to be sickeningly sweet together.”

              Once they were gone, Clarke turned to face Lexa fully. “Everything okay?” She asked, still wondering what her girlfriend had been off doing.

              “I should be asking you that,” Lexa said. “I could tell you were upset earlier when we were texting.”

              Clarke shook her head. “I was just tired. I’m fine.”

              Lexa ran her hands up and down Clarke’s arms. “If you’re sure…”

              Clarke smiled. “I am, and thank you again for the rose. That was sweet of you.”

              “Thought I’d give you something for your debut tonight, and you look gorgeous, by the way.” Lexa’s eyes trailed down the red dress Clarke had on.

              Clarke laughed lightly. “It’s not a debut. I brought one painting. It’s not a big deal. And you look beautiful yourself. No one quite rocks the simple black dress look like you do.”

              Lexa kissed Clarke, silently thanking her for the compliment before moving back to the topic at hand. “It’s a huge deal. You’re sharing your art with other people.”

              Before Clarke could comment, Lexa’s aunt approached them. “Sorry to interrupt. Clarke, I need a price for your painting.”

              “Right, um…” Clarke hadn’t thought about what a good price would be. “Four hundred?”

              “Are you asking me or telling me?” Perry asked, amused.

              “No, sorry. Maybe three hundred,” Clarke tried again.

              “Clarke, never backtrack on your price after stating it. Say a price and stick to it; maybe leaving room for some negotiation. Also, we’ll have to discuss ways to decide how to price your art later, but four hundred is definitely too low. Eight hundred for the canvas size, the work put in and it’s just plain amazing. All right, time to get things started.” Before Clarke could get a word in, Perry was already rushing off.

              Clarke’s eyes were wide. “Did she say eight hundred?”

              Lexa smiled at her girlfriend’s shocked expression. “She did.”

              “No one’s going to buy it at that price,” Clarke said.

              “Trust my aunt,” Lexa assured the blonde. She laced their fingers together.

              As the charity event started, Luna waved them over so they would stand with her. Clarke was feeling excited and nervous about possibly selling her painting but she hadn’t forgotten about things with her mother. She just hoped she could keep her mood up throughout the night so she could enjoy her time with Lexa and the Woods family.

 

 

              The event was winding down to an end and Clarke was standing beside Lexa looking at her painting, shocked that it had been sold. “Do we know who bought it?” Clarke asked, glancing at Lexa.

              “Titus Kepa,” Perry answered from behind them. “Huge art snob but a decent man.” She handed Clarke a card. “He asked me to give this to you.” Clarke took the card and read it over. “He would like you to call him when you’ve created more pieces like _The Commander.”_

Clarke’s mouth fell open slightly. “Really?”

              Perry nodded. “You’ve got yourself a few fans already. I’m one of them.” Perry handed Clarke another card. “We should do lunch soon. I’ve got to teach you a few things if you’re going to be selling art.”

              “Thank you, Perry,” Clarke said, feeling elated. “My schedule is completely free next week so whenever you’re available works for me.”

              “Perfect,” Perry said, happily, before looking at Lexa. “Hang on to this one.”

              “I’m doing my best,” Lexa assured her with a smile. Once her aunt walked off, she looked at her girlfriend. “Are you sure your schedule will be open next week?”

              Clarke linked her fingers with Lexa’s and tugged her towards Gustus and Amelia. “Let’s go say goodnight to your parents.”

              “You’re avoiding my question,” Lexa pointed out.

              “We’ll talk about it in the car,” Clarke promised.

              “Hey, you two,” Lexa said as she stopped in front of her parents. “We’re calling it a night.”

              “Already?” Gustus asked. “The night is still young. _You_ two are still young. You should be staying out late and getting drunk. What kind of young adults are you?”

              “Tired ones,” Lexa replied. “We’ll see you guys later. Have a goodnight.”

              “Goodnight, girls,” Amelia said. “And congratulations on all the attention your painting received, Clarke. I can’t wait to see more of your work.”

              “Thank you,” Clarke replied, sincerely. She appreciated that they were interested in what she did and even supported her.

              “Oh, Clarke, how are you at sports? The Woods family sports event of the year is taking place in a month. You’ve got to be ready.”

              “This is my first time hearing about it,” Clarke admitted.

              Lexa shook her head. “It’s baseball and you don’t have to participate. My family gets crazy during said event.”

              “We do not,” Gustus protested. “It’s all in good fun.”

              Amelia looked at her husband, tilting her head to the side as she gave him a questioning look.

              “Okay, we get a little crazy on my side of the family but at least we’re fun. Nia sucks the fun out of everything just by merely showing up. Does she know what fun is?” He looked back at Clarke. “I hope you never have to meet her but if you do, don’t look her in the eyes. She’ll turn you to ice.”

              Amelia reached out and lightly slapped the man on the shoulder with the back of her hand. “She’s not that bad,” she assured Clarke.

              Gustus mouthed, “she is” causing Clarke to smile.

              “Oh, Clarke,” Amelia began. “We would love to meet your mother. I know she has a busy schedule but maybe we can all get together soon?”

              “I’ll talk to her and work something out,” Clarke said, not wanting to delve into why that probably wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

              “Great, I can’t wait to meet her,” Amelia said. “You two have a goodnight.”

               “Stay out of trouble, Dad,” Lexa grinned. “Night, Mom,” she said before leaving the gallery with Clarke.

             

 

 

              Lexa was driving Clarke’s car and the two had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when she glanced over at the blonde. “You’re awfully quiet. If I did something, you can tell me.”

              Clarke shook her head. “You didn’t do anything. I had a disagreement with my mom today.”

              “So you were upset earlier. Want to talk about it?”

              Clarke looked away from the window to look at Lexa. “I’m dropping out of med school.”

              Lexa was stunned. “Are you okay? I mean- is this something you’re sure about? This doesn’t have anything to do with us does it because I’m fine with how things are.”

              Clarke placed her hand on Lexa’s thigh and squeezed gently. “I did it for me. My heart wasn’t in it as much as I wanted it to be. I want to go to nursing school and focus more on art.”

              Lexa glanced away from the road for a second to look at her girlfriend. “I know that must’ve been a hard choice to make. I’m proud of you.” She linked her fingers with Clarke’s and brought her hand up to kiss the back of it. “It’s all about what makes you happy.”

              “It’s like a weight off my shoulders. I don’t know if my mom will get over it, though. She was so upset. She even thinks you influenced my decision.”

              Lexa wasn’t surprised there but she kept the comment to herself. “Have you ever mentioned to her that you might be interested in a career in art? She probably doesn’t realize how important it is to you. Does she know how amazing you are at it?”

              “She always just thought it was a hobby I was passionate about. She hasn’t seen any of my art since high school. I’ve gotten exponentially better since then.”

              “And she didn’t know you were on the fence about med school,” Lexa continued. “Do you see where I’m going here?”

              “I blindsided her,” Clarke realized.

              “Your mom loves you. She reacted poorly but I’m sure she’ll want to talk to you once she’s calmed down. If your decision is one hundred percent your own, then I’m sure she’ll come around.”

              “It is completely my choice,” Clarke assured her. “I’ll give her more time to come to terms with it.”

 

 

 

              Lexa reached her apartment with Clarke but then paused at the door causing Clarke to quirk a brow. “Can you give me a minute?”

              “Why? What’s wrong?” Clarke asked.

              Lexa fidgeted with her keys. “I just need to clean up a bit.”

              The front door opened and Anya froze when she saw them. “Sorry, I’m a little behind,” she said to Lexa. “Everything’s ready and I’ll be at Raven’s. Hey, Clarke. Enjoy the sex,” she said before plucking the rose from Clarke’s hand and heading down the stairs.  

              Clarke laughed lightly and shook her head at the woman’s antics. “Thanks, Anya,” she called to her before entering the apartment.

              “Wait,” Lexa said, but it was too late. Clarke looked around the apartment and smiled. The dining table was set; there was soft music playing in the background and a bouquet of roses rested on the kitchen counter.

              “What is this?”

              “I had Anya set things up for me. I wanted us to have a romantic night in but nothing has to happen. I know you’re not having a good day. We can eat and watch TV or just go to bed.”

              Clarke moved forward, wrapping her arms around Lexa and resting her face in the crook of the brunette’s neck. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you but I’m very grateful.”             

              Lexa smiled as she returned the hug. “Want to take a shower with me, eat dinner on the couch and watch Netflix? I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge, too.”

              Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s neck. “That sounds perfect.”

             

             

             

              Lexa woke up the next morning, feeling warmed by Clarke’s close proximity. She stretched over to feel for her phone on her nightstand and checked the time. She was sure Abby would be at work by now and wanted to stop by the hospital to have a word with the woman. She just didn’t want Clarke to know where she was going. “Clarke,” Lexa began, gently shaking the blonde. “I’m going to go on a morning run.”

              “Stay,” Clarke mumbled. “I can give you a morning workout in a few minutes.”

              “That is very tempting, but I’ve been slacking. I should really go. You can come with if you want.”

              Clarke let out a snort. “Pass. Go ahead. We can have lazy morning sex later.”

              Lexa chuckled and placed a kiss on Clarke’s jaw. “I love you.”

              “I love you, too. Hurry back.”

              Lexa got out of bed and changed into her workout gear before leaving the apartment. She just hoped this was one of her smarter ideas.

 

 

 

              Lexa was sitting in her car outside of the hospital knowing she needed to speed things along but she was nervous about the conversation she wanted to have with Abby. Taking a deep breath, she exited the car and made her way towards Ark Hospital. She didn’t have to walk far because as soon as she entered the building, she saw Abby talking to another doctor at the front desk.

              Abby spotted her and Lexa could tell right away the woman wasn’t pleased to see her. She watched as Abby excused herself from her conversation before walking over to Lexa.

              “I know you don’t want to talk to me but I was hoping you would give me a few minutes of your time,” Lexa said before Abby could get a word out.

              The doctor gestured outside and Lexa exited the building so they could have a private conversation. As soon as they were a few feet away from the building, Abby started in on Lexa. “Clarke has always been excited for med school. Being a doctor has always been her dream but then she meets you and that suddenly changes. You are ruining her future and if you really care about her, you wouldn’t allow her to quit.”

              Lexa stood tall and her chin rose slightly. “I understand why you think that but Clarke is her own person. She’s choosing to quit med school because she wants something different for herself. It doesn’t have anything to do with our relationship. Your daughter is an amazing artist and I’ve never seen her happier than when she has a paintbrush in her hand. I know you probably feel like this is coming out of nowhere but Clarke has always loved art.”

              “And what happens if art doesn’t pan out for her?” Abby asked. “Clarke is so smart. She would’ve made one of the best doctors.”

              “She’ll be one of the best nurses instead,” Lexa stated. “And she’ll be happy. Isn’t that the important thing here? I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Don’t let Clarke down, please.”

              “I need to get to work.” As Abby made her way back towards the hospital building, Lexa called out to her.

              “At least look at what she can do. She’s incredibly talented.” Abby paused at the door as she took Lexa’s words in before she walked inside the building.

              Lexa sighed, feeling like she didn’t get through to the woman at all. She made her way back to her car hoping she was wrong.   

             

 

 

              Lexa entered her apartment and made her way into the kitchen for a glass of water. She had ended up going for a short run because she had felt guilty for lying to Clarke. After downing the water, she made her way into her room just in time to see Clarke in new black lingerie putting on garter belts.

              Clarke looked up when she heard the door open and rolled her eyes. “You’re back too soon,” she whined. “I had this whole sexy thing planned out.”

              Lexa grinned as she moved over to Clarke. “Sexy isn’t something you have to plan out. You just are.” She leaned in for a kiss but Clarke turned her head. “That’s not the point. I’m trying to do something for you. Go away. I’m almost done.”  
              Lexa sat down on the edge of the bed instead as her gaze trailed over Clarke’s body. “Where were you hiding those anyway?”

              “The back of your t-shirt drawer. I have a few things stored there, actually,” Clarke answered as she got the garter belts hooked on. “I’m thinking I’m going to clean out one of your drawers so I have more space for my things.”

              Lexa reached for Clarke’s hand and pulled the blonde between her legs. “Yeah, you can do whatever you want.” Her hands trailed up and down the back of Clarke’s thighs but the blonde pulled away.

              “This is supposed to be about you,” Clarke stated as she reached into the dresser drawer to pull out small bottles that looked familiar to Lexa.

              “You never used the oils I gave you?” The brunette pouted.

              Clarke smirked as she placed the bottles onto the dresser. “I’m about to use them on you now.”

              Lexa got up from the bed and wrapped her arms around Clarke. “I’d rather use them on you.” She placed a kiss on Clarke’s shoulder. “Want to get on the bed for me? I’ll give you a massage.”

              “Lexa,” Clarke sighed in exasperation. “What part of ‘this is for you’ don’t you understand?” She turned around in her girlfriend’s arms. “Let me take care of you for once.”

              Lexa placed her hands on either side of the dresser before leaning in to kiss Clarke. They made-out for a good minute before Lexa moved her lips to Clarke’s neck, placing several kisses there as she moved her hand to caress the blonde’s side.

              Clarke realized she was succumbing to her girlfriend and gently pushed her away. “Nice try. You’re going to get on the bed and enjoy getting sexed up.”

              Lexa laughed. “You’re such a romantic,” she said, sarcastically. “Turning you on turns me on, Clarke.”

              Clarke sighed. “True service top.”

              “Yeah well, you’re a true power bottom if I’ve ever seen one,” Lexa shot back, playfully. She reached behind Clarke and grabbed one of the oils. “How about I give you a massage because your stress level is a lot higher than mine right now and then I’ll relent and let you do whatever you want?”

              Clarke quirked a brow as she thought it over. “Whatever I want?”

              Lexa smiled. “Yes, but I might live to regret making that offer.”

              “Let’s shake on it so you can’t back out.”  

              Lexa laughed. “Why would I back out? What kind of plans do you have for me, Clarke?”

              Clarke wiggled her eyebrows as she held her hand out. “You’ll find out.”

              Lexa bypassed the handshake and wrapped her arms around Clarke, picking her up and depositing her gently onto the bed before straddling her. She ran a hand through her hair as she looked down at her girlfriend. “What’s on that dirty little mind of yours?”

              Clarke grinned. “I just think it’ll be fun to tease the hell out of you until you’re begging for me to touch you the way you need.” Clarke tugged at Lexa’s shirt. “Take this off.”  
              Lexa groaned. “You’re way too hot for your own good.” She playfully slapped Clarke’s hand away. “Massage first; torture later.”

              Clarke bucked her hips as she bit her lower lip. “ _Or,_ since you’re already up here, you could just take care of me.” She caught Lexa’s hand and moved it down over her crotch. Lexa let out a half-moan, half-growl as she went to move her hand down Clarke’s underwear, but was immediately stopped. “You’re too easy,” the artist laughed. “Massage first, remember?”

              Lexa looked at the blonde in disbelief before shaking her head. “You’re trouble, Griffin,” she said as she got up to retrieve the massage oils. It was going to be a very fun morning for the both of them.

             

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

 

              Clarke was in her living room with Lincoln as he looked over her comic she had been working on over the past few days. “Is it decent?” She asked, anxiously.

              Lincoln smiled. “It’s pretty great, actually. Are you adding more to it?”

              Clarke nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to be pretty busy with it the next two months before Lexa’s birthday.”

              “You know, you should think about turning this whole Grounders thing into a graphic novel. I’d buy it.”

              “Maybe,” Clarke said as she thought it over. “Lexa would have to write it. She’s better at that stuff. I’m better at the art part.”

              “And speaking of art, can I commission you for a painting?”

              Clarke smiled. “I’ll do it for free, Lincoln. What do you want?”

              “A painting of Grounder Lincoln and Grounder Octavia together?” He asked, sheepishly. “It’s just really cool. You’ve got something good going here.”

              Clarke shook her head. “Lexa’s the one that came up with it. I just kind of took it over.”

              “Well you’re doing amazing things with it,” Lincoln complimented. “So you’ll do it?”

              “Of course. I’ll try to get it done soon,” Clarke said, excited to have something new to work on.

              “There’s no rush. Thanks, Clarke,” Lincoln said.

              Keys could be heard at the door and Clarke took her comic pages from Lincoln so she could hide them in her notebook. The door opened and Raven stepped in with Anya and Octavia. “Hey, guys,” she greeted them. They were each carrying bags full of snacks for the evening.

              “Hey,” Clarke greeted them. “Ready for couple game night?”

              “Of course,” Raven said as she placed her bag down onto the counter.

              Clarke frowned at the absence of her girlfriend. “Where’s Lexa?”

              “On pizza duty,” Anya answered before looking over at Raven who was rubbing her leg. “You okay?” she asked, quietly.

              “It’s a lot better but it still hurts sometimes,” Raven answered.

              Anya kissed her girlfriend on the cheek before tugging her out of the kitchen. “We’ll be right back.” She knew a massage would help Raven out. “Don’t have too much fun without us.”

              A knock sounded at the door and Clarke got up, expecting it to be Lexa but was surprised to see her mother instead. “Mom,” she began, unsure of what to say.

              “Is this a bad time?” Abby asked.

              “We can talk outside,” Clarke said as she slipped out of the apartment.

              “I was actually hoping you’d go somewhere with me,” Abby said. “I know I don’t deserve it but I thought about what Lexa said and it stuck with me.”

              Clarke’s brows rose. “You spoke to Lexa?”

              Abby nodded. “A few days ago. So, will you join me?”

              “Sure.” Clarke was interested in hearing what her mother had to say. She followed the woman out of the building and to her car. “Where are we going?”

              “Just to the house,” Abby replied as she got into the car.  

              Clarke got in as well and remained silent, waiting for her mother to say whatever she needed to say.

              “I’m sorry.” Abby started the car. “I reacted poorly to you dropping med school. I was caught off guard; it was the last thing I was expecting to ever hear from you. I didn’t realize I had pushed being a doctor on you.”

              Clarke shook her head. “You didn’t. Nothing was pushed on me. I thought it was what I wanted to do and I tried so hard to stick with it but I was just going through the motions. I wasn’t happy, Mom. I’m sorry.”

              “You don’t have to apologize, Clarke. You being happy is the most important thing. And if you only want to be a nurse to appease me in some way, then know that you don’t have to do that. If art is where your heart is, I support that. Your father would’ve supported you, too… and I know you know that already.”

              Clarke smiled. “I do.” She let out a breath as she thought about her father. “I miss him.”

              Abby glanced at her daughter. “Me too, sweetie. I definitely miss hearing him sing around the house. It’s so quiet now.”

              Clarke felt guilty. She didn’t visit her mother nearly enough. “Lexa’s parents want to meet you. They’re great people. We could do dinner together if you want. Or they’re having this huge family get together where they play baseball. You could come to that. I’d really like for you to meet them.”

              “Okay, yeah,” Abby said. “I can try to attend that. Just give me the date and time. I’ll make sure my schedule is clear.”              

              “That would be great. Lexa’s dad is very… enthusiastic. And her mom is very sweet. You’ll like them.”

              After a few more minutes of driving, Abby pulled up to her house and looked over at Clarke.

              “What are we doing here?” Clarke asked as she got out of the car.

              “I want to show you something,” Abby said as she made her way to the front door. They entered the house and Clarke followed her mother down to the basement. When the light was flipped on, Clarke’s eyes widened. “You don’t have to use it,” Abby said. “I just wanted you to have a space of your own to do what you love. I’m sure your apartment isn’t big enough to store all your paintings. I hope I got everything. Google helped me figure out what you’d need in here.”

              Clarke looked around at the art studio her mother had setup for her. She felt overwhelmed by the gesture and tears started to form in her eyes. “This… this means a lot, Mom. Thank you.”

              Abby pulled her daughter into a hug. “You’re very welcome. And I want you to know if you’re thinking of nursing school as a way to appease me in some way, then it isn’t necessary. I want you to follow your dreams.”

              “Nursing school would be my fallback. You know, in case I fail miserably at the whole art thing,” Clarke explained.

              “You have five months before the fall semester,” Abby pointed out. “Nursing school doesn’t have to be set in stone. I did some research; Art Therapy would be right up your alley. You’d have to go back to school for that, too, but I figured it’s something you’d enjoy immensely. I know you love helping people.”

              Clarke was touched that her mother had done research and was supporting her in the arts but she wondered if the woman was simply trying to fix things. “Mom if you’re upset still, I’ll understand.”

              Abby shook her head. “I’m only upset with myself. Your father was always the better parent. I’m a bit of a mess at it, but I’m trying. I want us to have a better relationship. I want to understand your choices. Maybe you can show me your paintings soon. I haven’t in a long time.”

              Clarke smiled. “I want us to have a better relationship, too. Maybe when you drop me off, you could come inside and see some of my paintings.”

              “I would like that,” Abby said, glad that she and her daughter were back on the right track.

 

 

              There was a knock at the apartment door and Raven got up from the couch to go answer it. She saw Clarke at the door with Abby and smiled. “Hey, you two. Everything okay?”

              “Yeah, my mom wants to see some of my paintings,” Clarke said and Raven could tell that the blonde was really happy about this.

              “Are you joining us, too, Abby?” Raven asked as she stepped aside. “When’s the last time you’ve had a few drinks in you?”

              Abby shook her head. “I’ll have to pass, but since I’m here, you know you need to make another appointment to come see me, right?”

              “I know,” Raven assured her. “I’ll make one soon…ish.”

              Anya looked over at the doctor. “She’ll make one next week.”

              “Thank you,” Abby said to Anya before greeting Octavia and Lincoln.

              Clarke pulled her girlfriend up from the couch and greeted her with a kiss to the cheek before moving her lips to the brunette’s ear. “Relax.” She could tell Lexa was a bit tense because of Abby’s presence.

              Abby looked at Lexa and offered her a smile. “Lexa, it’s good to see you.”

              “It’s good to see you as well, Doctor Griffin.” And she meant it. Abby being around meant that she and Clarke had made up. “Would you like a glass of water or anything?”

              “I’m fine. Thank you. Why don’t you join us? Clarke’s going to show me some of her artwork.”

              Lexa nodded and followed the two into Clarke’s room where the blonde’s latest painting rested on her easel unfinished. It was of the Sky Girl and the Commander sharing a kiss.

              Lexa immediately felt herself blush but Clarke only smiled as she looked at her mom. “This is just one of many Commander/Sky Girl paintings,” she explained to her mom. “This is their first kiss.”

              “Commander and Sky Girl?” Abby repeated. “Not you and Lexa?”

              “It’s us in another lifetime,” Clarke replied. She picked up a painting that was on her floor, resting against the wall. “This is the Commander.” She showed her mother more paintings of the Grounder world that she and Lexa had created. The three ended up spending a good half hour talking about the backstories of the characters and how Lexa’s aunt absolutely loved the idea. Lexa also made a point to mention how Clarke had sold a painting and had someone interested in buying more of her work.

              “Looks like you’re doing pretty well in the art world already,” Abby said, impressed. “I’m excited for you. You’ll let me know how everything goes with your art?”

              Clarke nodded. “I’ll let you know everything,” she promised.

              “Good,” Abby said before looking at Lexa. “And I owe you an apology. I was-,”

              Lexa held up a hand, stopping her. “It’s forgotten. We can start fresh, Doctor Griffin.”

              “Then let’s start with you calling me Abby,” the doctor said. “I was invited to your family event coming up but hopefully we can see each other before then.”

              Lexa looked shocked. “You’ll join our sport event?”

              “I’m going to clear my schedule for that day,” Abby assured her. “I’ll do my best to be there.”

              “It would be great to have you there,” Lexa said. “And we can definitely have lunch or dinner together soon.”

              “Great,” Abby said. “I better get going so you two can get back to your friends.”

              “I’ll walk you out,” Clarke said. She squeezed Lexa’s hand gently, a silent thank you for forgiving her mother, before exiting the room.

              Lexa smiled at the gesture and looked back at the painting on the easel. She was admiring it, wondering if Clarke would let her keep it once it was complete. As she continued to look at it, she felt arms circle around her waist.

              “What are you thinking about?” Clarke asked as she rested her chin on Lexa’s shoulder.         

              “We should give them a happy ending,” Lexa said. “They’ll go through a lot and maybe even separate for a while but in the end, they find their way back to each other.”

              Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s shoulders. “They’re soulmates. They deserve a happy ending.”

              “Think you’d want to write a book with me?” Lexa asked. “I’m kind of obsessed with our story.”

              Clarke released Lexa and went to pull her sketchbook from her drawer. “This was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday.” She pulled the papers out that she had stored there and handed them to Lexa. “I started a comic. Lincoln suggested a graphic novel instead. We could do it together. What do you think?”

              Lexa looked over the comic and laughed, happily. “I love this,” she said as she continued to look at Clarke’s comic. “A graphic novel would be fun to do together.”

              “And my mom gave me her basement as a studio so we’ll have a place to work,” Clarke added.

              “Really? Your mother really is coming around. I’m glad.”

              “She said you spoke to her.”

              Lexa looked up from the comic, guiltily. “I’m sorry. I just thought I could be a voice of reason. I hope I didn’t overstep.”

              Clarke shook her head. “You didn’t. I appreciate you talking to her.” She took the papers from Lexa and set them down on the dresser. “Let’s get back to our friends before they think we’ve abandoned them. We’ll talk more about this graphic novel tomorrow.”

              The two headed out into the living room and Anya quirked a brow at her best friend. “Everything good?”

              Lexa smiled. “Yeah, we’re good.” Everything was perfect.

 

 

             

A few days later…

              Clarke had decided to sell all her Grounder paintings except for the one Lexa really wanted to keep for herself. She had called to talk to Perry about it first and the woman had told her to bring them to the art gallery and give Titus Kepa a call. She had done just that and wasn’t expecting much to come from it. She figured the man would look over the paintings and pick one or two of his favorites. She hadn’t expected a trip to the bank to deposit a ridiculously large check because the man had wanted them all.

              She was now making her way into Grounders because with how ecstatic she was, she needed to do something with all her energy. She didn’t see Lexa anywhere on the floor so she made her way upstairs to her girlfriend’s office, entering it and locking the door behind her.  

              Lexa looked up from her paperwork. “Clarke, hey. I wasn’t expecting you. We didn’t have lunch plans that I forgot about did we?”

              Clarke went over to the brunette and bent down to kiss her, straddling her in the chair as she did so. She pulled off her shirt and tossed it aside before kissing Lexa again.

              “What’s got you in this mood?” Lexa asked as Clarke kissed her along her neck.

              “Orgasms first; questions later,” Clarke breathed out.

              Lexa stood up from her chair, picking Clarke up with her before stopping, realizing her desk had too many items to set Clarke down on it. “Pause.” She placed her girlfriend on the floor before carefully setting things on her desk to one side.

              Clarke chuckled to herself, knowing the brunette wouldn’t dream of just pushing everything off her desk because it would get all her papers disorganized. She took the opportunity to remove her pants and when Lexa turned to look at her, she let out a moan of approval. Lexa pulled Clarke to her for a kiss and picked Clarke up to place her down onto the desk.

              “What do you want?” Lexa asked as she trailed her hands up and down Clarke’s thighs.

              “Just make me come.”

              Lexa smirked and sat back down onto her chair, lowering it a bit before winking up at Clarke. She pulled the blonde’s underwear aside and ran her tongue over Clarke, causing the blonde to gasp. As Lexa went to work, Clarke’s mouth fell open and she gripped the edges of the desk tightly. She bit the bottom of her lip, knowing she had to stay quiet but that was really a difficult thing to do when Lexa was so good with her tongue.

              “Fuck,” Clarke moaned out when Lexa began to suck hard on her clit. “Shit, just like that, Lexa.”

              It didn’t take long for Clarke to come undone and Lexa continued her actions until the blonde was pushing her head away. Lexa stood up to kiss Clarke and the artist pushed her hand down Lexa’s martial arts pants. She rubbed Lexa over her underwear for a few seconds before dipping her hand into her underwear.

              Lexa rested her head against the crook of Clarke’s neck as she was worked over in the best way. After a few minutes, she came, gasping out her release before moving to slump into her chair. “Okay, that was really hot,” she breathed out.

              Clarke grinned and got up from the desk to get her pants.

              “So what was that all about?” Lexa asked, curious to know what had put Clarke in such a good mood.

              “Titus Kepa bought all my paintings,” Clarke beamed. “All of them, Lexa. He even commissioned me for some other stuff. And Perry’s going to start letting me show my work at the gallery from now on. Today has just been a really great day.” She moved to sit down on Lexa’s lap and Lexa wrapped her arms around her.

              “I’m really happy for you,” Lexa smiled. “You should tell your mom. We can all go out to celebrate.”

              Clarke placed a kiss on Lexa’s cheek. “I’d love that.”

              There was a knock at the door and Clarke got up from Lexa’s lap. “Try not to overexert yourself too much today. “I’m in the mood for an all-nighter,” she winked at the woman before pulling the office door open.

              “Hey, Lincoln,” Clarke smiled. “I’m still working on that painting we talked about. It should be done by next week.”

              “Thanks, Clarke,” Lincoln said before entering Lexa’s office. “She seems different,” he stated. “Kind of… bubbly.”

              Lexa smirked. “Bubbly is one way to describe her,” she replied, amused as she thought about what she and Clarke had just gotten up to in her office. There was definitely a difference in Clarke’s mood and behavior. She was glad everything was finally falling into place for her girlfriend.  


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Clarke was sitting in the living room at her easel, working on a painting, when she heard a knock at the door. She placed the brush down and got up to go open it, already knowing it was her girlfriend. When she opened the door, Lexa smiled at the blonde’s appearance. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, she was wearing shorts, a plaid shirt and paint was on the blonde’s cheek and hands.

              Lexa placed a quick kiss on Clarke’s lips before slipping into the apartment. She made her way over to the easel and admired the painting. “This is different.” A young girl sat on one edge of a broken bridge holding flowers while the other side of the bridge stood a man smiling with two other people standing slightly behind him. Lexa pointed to the young girl. “That’s supposed to represent you.” She then pointed to the other people. “And they’re supposed to symbolize your father, Wells and Charlotte?” Clarke nodded but remained silent as Lexa continued to look at the painting. The broken bridge was standing in water and Lexa noticed a slight ripple in it. When she looked back at the young girl, she noticed the tear rolling down her cheek even though there was a slight smile on her face. “This is beautiful, Clarke.” She placed her hand on her girlfriend’s back and rubbed it gently. “Are you okay?”

              Clarke smiled sadly. “I am. I just miss them. Do you really like it?” She sat back down on her stool and picked up her paintbrush. “It’s not finished yet.”

              “I do.” Lexa noticed something in the painting and looked closer. There was a crack in the bridge the shape of a broken infinity symbol. “That’s my tattoo.”

              Clarke hummed her confirmation as she dipped her brush into the paint.

              “Very nice,” Lexa said, impressed. She looked over at another painting that was resting against the wall near the easel. “A surrealism painting?”

              Clarke smirked as she stayed focused on her work. “You’ve been doing your research.”

              “If I’m going to be going to art events with you, I want to at least be able to B.S. my way through a conversation. You’ve been doing a lot of different styles.”

              “Yeah, I’ve got to show everyone that I’m capable of other things.” Clarke gestured towards the painting against the wall. “I was actually commissioned for that one by Indra Forrester.”

              “I know her,” Lexa said. “She’s a friend of my aunt. Look at you getting the attention of these big art collectors.”

              Lexa sat down on the couch. “Have you eaten?”

              “Not yet,” Clarke replied. “Did you want to go out somewhere?”

              “No, we can stay in,” Lexa replied. “I’ll order something.”

              “Raven should be home soon,” Clarke said. “Can you order something for her, too?”

              “I can.” Lexa ordered the usual and once she was done, she laid down on the couch as Clarke continued to work. “Have you left that easel at all today?”

              “To use the bathroom,” Clarke replied before glancing behind her. “I have a lot I want to get done before the weekend. I still have one more painting to do this week before I’m comfortable with having my showcase in two weeks, which brings me to a favor I need from you.” Clarke set her paintbrush down and wiped her hands on an old towel before moving to straddle Lexa. “I want to use you as a canvas.”

              Lexa slid her hands up Clarke’s thighs. “Continue. I’m intrigued.”

              Clarke grinned. “I want to paint 3-D images on your back. It’s a way to challenge myself to do something different _and_ we’ll get to spend time together.”

              “I’m in,” Lexa said. “Just let me know when.”

              Clarke leaned down to kiss the brunette. “You’re the best.”

              Lexa smirked. “I know. I’m the best at a lot of things.” She moved her hands up Clarke’s shirt and caressed her sides. “Want me to show you?”

              Clarke rocked her hips against Lexa. “Yes, but the food should be here soon and so will Raven. Besides, I’m a mess.”

              “A gorgeous mess,” Lexa said. She picked her phone up from beside her on the couch and went to her camera app. She took a picture of Clarke and smiled at the blue streak of paint across the blonde’s face. She saved it as her background and set the phone back down. “Is your mom still coming with us on Saturday?” Abby had met Lexa’s parents a week ago and she was surprised at how well they all got along. “My parents didn’t scare her off, did they?”

              “She’s definitely going to be there,” Clarke assured her. “She had fun at dinner.” She got off of Lexa and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be right out.”

              “I could join you,” Lexa said.

              Clarke smirked as she began unbuttoning her shirt. “You have to wait for the food to get here, remember?”

              Lexa’s eyes trailed up and down Clarke’s chest and stomach. “You’re a tease.”

              Clarke undid the button on her shorts, revealing a bit of her lacy underwear. “Am I?”

              Lexa huffed. “Are you trying to make me incoherent?”

              “Just getting you ready for later,” Clarke leaned down to kiss Lexa, nipping at her bottom lip before heading towards the bathroom.

              “Evil,” Lexa sighed before picking up her phone to play a game on it while she waited for their food to be delivered.

             

 

 

              Lexa was sitting in her parents’ backyard half listening to Luna, Anya and Octavia talk while she admired Clarke in her baseball tee and snapback.

              “Are you even listening or are you too busy drooling over your girlfriend?” Luna asked, amused.

              Lexa blushed and tore her gaze away from Clarke, who was laughing at something Gustus had said while she stood with Amelia, Abby and Perry. “Sorry,” she muttered to her cousin, but her eyes went right back to Clarke.

              Luna laughed. “It’s fine. You two are cute.”

              “Disgustingly cute,” Anya corrected.

              As if she knew she was being looked at, Clarke glanced over at Lexa and winked at her before returning to her conversation with Gustus.

              Raven joined them, sitting down next to her girlfriend. “When’s the baseball game starting? I’m ready to win.”

              “The baseball field was rented for one o’clock so we’ll be heading out soon,” Lexa answered.

              “Lexa!” Gustus called from a few feet away. “Come show Clarke and Abby your baseball trick.”

              “Dad,” Lexa groaned.

              “Come on, show them!” Gustus said.

              Amelia shook her head. “Gustus, leave her.”

              “I’ll give you a dollar if you do it,” Gustus tried.

              “Dad, I’m not six anymore,” Lexa laughed. “I’ll do it later at the baseball field.”

              Gustus sighed. “Fine.” He spotted his sister-in-law and groaned before putting on a fake smile. “Nia, you made it. I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

              “Shut up, Gustus,” Nia said before hugging her sister. 

              Nia’s son, Roan, greeted his aunt and uncle before his eyes locked onto Clarke. “Hello. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.” He held out his hand for Clarke to shake. “I’m Roan.”             

              Lexa made her way over to her cousin and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly in warning. “Roan, meet my girlfriend, Clarke. Clarke this is my idiot cousin.”  
              “Nice to meet you,” Clarke said.

              “You’re hurting my shoulder,” Roan said to Lexa.

              Lexa released his shoulder and patted him on the back hard. “Eyes up,” she warned the man as his gaze fell to Clarke’s chest. She gestured to Abby. “This is Clarke’s mother. She’s a doctor. Very good with sharp objects.”

              Roan smiled. “Noted." He glanced to the side and spotted Raven sitting at the chair talking to Luna. He excused himself and made his way over to the engineer. “I definitely would’ve noticed having met you before.”

              “I will break your hand, Roan,” Anya warned.

              Roan sighed. “How did you two pull such pretty women?”

              Anya flicked the man off and Roan ignored her as he noticed Octavia sitting beside Luna. “Now you look like you could use some company.”

              Before Octavia could comment, Lincoln approached them and handed her a beverage he had gotten from inside the house. He placed a kiss on the brunette’s cheek before sitting down beside her.

              “Three strikes, Roan,” Lexa stated.

              Roan held his hands up in mock surrender. “All right, all right. I’ll behave.” He looked at Clarke. “Or at least I’ll try.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes, knowing her cousin was simply a flirt and wouldn’t actually make a move on anyone. Gustus called his daughter over so she could help him with something and she reluctantly left Clarke’s side, placing a kiss on her cheek before walking off, jokingly telling the blonde to feel free to punch Roan if necessary.

             

 

 

              Octavia effortlessly caught the baseball as it soared down from the air causing cheers from her teammates.

              Gustus look at the petite brunette in disbelief. “You’re on my team next year.” Octavia grinned and tossed the man the baseball.

              “That’s the game,” Luna announced. “Lexa’s team wins.”

              Lexa grinned. “Sorry, Dad. Maybe next year.” She then looked at Clarke, who had chosen to be on her dad’s team. “Hey, traitor.” She gestured over to Octavia as she neared the blonde. “Did you see that catch?”

              Clarke rolled her eyes but a smile pulled at her lips. “She got lucky.” She reached out and tugged Lexa’s shirt to bring her closer in order to whisper in her ear. “And you will be too because you looked ridiculous hot running around out here.” She released Lexa and smiled, innocently. “Good game.”

              Lexa pushed all her impure thoughts to the back of her head, hating that they were going back to her parents’ backyard and not to one of their apartments. “Yeah, good game.” Her gaze dropped to Clarke’s chest where the buttons had been undone. “Good baseball cleavage, too.”

              Lexa heard a cleared throat from behind her and glanced behind her to see Abby. “Doctor Griffin,” she said, quickly. “Baseball cleavage is just a term for… how clear the field is.”

              “Oh is it?” Abby asked, amused by Lexa’s sudden nervousness.

              “Yes?” Lexa confirmed but it sounded more like a question. Abby laughed but said nothing more as the woman went to go talk to Amelia. Lexa groaned in embarrassment. “She’s never going to like me for long periods of time at this rate.”

              Clarke quirked a brow at her girlfriend. “Clear field?”

              “I panicked,” Lexa stated with a frown.

              Clarke kissed her the brunette. “You’re cute.”

              “Hey,” Gustus said as he approached the two. “No fraternizing with the enemy, Clarke. Come on. I’ll tell you embarrassing stories about Lexa that you can use against her later.”

              “Mom!” Lexa whined.

              Amelia paused her conversation with Abby to look over at her husband. “Gustus leave our child alone.”

              “She started it,” Gustus stated.

              Lexa scoffed. “How?”

              “By winning. I’m throwing you in the pool at some point tonight. You’ve been warned.”

              Amelia rolled her eyes. “The last time you threw her in the pool, you had to buy her a new phone.”

              “I’ve warned her this time so she knows to be free of electronics,” Gustus pointed out.

              “Gustus,” Amelia said, sternly.

              “Fine,” Gustus sighed.

              Amelia returned to her conversation, knowing her warning to her husband had gone unheeded and he would be continuing with his tradition of throwing Lexa into the pool like he had done every time she had won the family baseball game.  

             

 

 

 

              Lexa was in the kitchen at her parents’ house, washing her hands, when Clarke walked in. “Hey you,” she greeted the blonde.

              “Hey,” Clarke tossed her paper plate in the garbage can before slipping in front of Lexa to wash her own hands. She pushed her ass into Lexa and the brunette’s hands instinctively went to her hips. “Clarke, you’ve been teasing me all afternoon,” she complained.

              Clarke turned off the faucet and dried her hands before moving. “Have I?” She asked, innocently.

              Lexa smirked and pulled Clarke back to her so that their hips were touching. “You’re driving me crazy.”

              Clarke grinned. “Good. You’ll be exactly how I want you when we’re finally alone.”

              Lexa’s eyes dropped to Clarke’s lips before returning to her eyes. “And how do you want me?”

              “Compliant,” Clarke answered. “I’m going to top the hell out of you, Lexa Woods.”

              “Jesus, Clarke,” Lexa breathed out before moving in to kiss her.

              Clarke placed a hand on the brunette’s chest to stop her. “I need to head back outside. I just needed to wash my hands.” Lexa took a deep breath to rein in her lust before following her girlfriend back outside.

              “Future daughter-in-law,” Gustus called. “Perry says you’re paintings are a hot commodity at the gallery. You’re not going to get rich and famous and forget about us are you?”

              “Of course not,” Clarke assured him as she went to sit down next to her mom.

              “We’ve also been told that you have two serious art collectors in love with your work,” Amelia added. “We’re proud of you.”

              Clarke smiled. “Thank you. It all still feels surreal sometimes. I’m busy all the time painting and working on my project with Lexa but it’s a feel-good kind of busy if that makes any sense.”

              “It does,” Amelia smiled.

              “And on a side note,” Gustus looked over to where Lexa had gone to sit with Anya and the others. “Lexa did you notice how your girlfriend answered to future daughter-in-law?”

              Amelia shook her head. “Gustus,” she chided.

              “What? I just want to ensure that a ring gets put on that finger,” he said as he pointed to Clarke’s hand. He looked back at Lexa. “I proposed to your mother a month after dating.”

              Lexa grinned. “And didn’t she say no?”

              Gustus waved the question off. “Details.”

              Abby laughed at hearing this. “I’ve got to hear this story.”

              Gustus launched into the story and Lexa returned to her conversation with her friends but she couldn’t help thinking about her father’s words.

 

 

              Lexa was helping clean up the backyard, rushing so she could get back to her apartment with Clarke. The blonde had continued to tease her and at this point, she was ready to burst. She glanced over at Clarke, who was talking to Luna and Lincoln, and immediately knew it was a bad idea because she was now distracted by how incredibly attractive her girlfriend was in that damn baseball t-shirt and snapback. She was so distracted that she didn’t hear anyone approaching her until there were arms around her waist and she was being tossed into the pool.

              Lexa surfaced and playfully glared at her father, glad that she had remembered to give her phone to Clarke to hang on to. “And here I thought you were giving me a pass.”

              “No way, kid. The family tradition lives on.”

               Lexa got out of the pool and playfully shoved her father. “Next time you win, I’m getting you into that pool somehow.” She had tried several times over the years but she could never do it. The man was just bigger and stronger.

              “You can try,” Gustus said before ruffling his daughter’s wet hair.

              Clarke laughed as she approached her girlfriend. “I’ll walk with you to the car to get your change of clothes.” The two walked hand-in-hand to the car and once they were away from the others, she said, “You probably needed that drop in the pool to cool down. I could feel you undressing me with your eyes.”

              Lexa laughed. “I totally hate you right now.”

              Clarke smiled and kissed Lexa on the cheek. “You won’t be saying that later tonight,” she assured the brunette. Lexa had a feeling she was going to break a couple of laws trying to make it back to her place in a timely manner.

              “I love you… despite how crazy you’re driving me right now.”

              Clarke smiled. “I love you, too. Very much. Come on, let’s get you into dry clothes.”

              Lexa opened the trunk of her car and picked up the mesh bag with her clothes in it. She closed her trunk and took Clarke’s hand into her own, bringing the blonde’s hand up so she could press a kiss to her ring finger as they made their way back towards the house. She was definitely looking forward to making Clarke her wife one day.


	27. Chapter 27

**Epilogue**

**Four years later…**

Lexa was sitting in the apartment she now shared with Clarke when she heard a knock at the door. She closed the ring box that housed the engagement ring she had been staring at and made her way to the door. She pulled it open and stepped aside to let Anya. “What if she doesn’t like the ring?”

              Anya rolled her eyes as she entered the house. “She’ll still say yes.”

              “So you think there’s a chance she won’t like the ring?” Lexa asked.

              “Ohmygod, Lexa,” Anya groaned. “She’ll like the ring. Octavia _and_ Raven helped you pick it out. Will you just propose to the woman already?”

              Lexa sighed and moved to sit back down on the couch. “I’m nervous.”

              “Why?” Anya asked. “Do you honestly think there’s a chance she’ll say no? Because if you do, you’re an idiot.”

              Lexa opened the box and stared at the engagement ring. “I want the proposal to be memorable. Nothing I’ve come up with has been really great, you know?”

              “You’re thinking too much,” Anya stated. “Just propose.”

              Lexa sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I just need to do it.”

              Anya grinned and patted Lexa on the knee. “Of course I’m right. Where’s Clarke, anyway?”

              “Picking up a copy of our graphic novel from the publisher,” Lexa replied. “She made me stay here because she wants to surprise me with it.” Between their separate jobs, the two had been able to find time to complete their novel over the years. Lexa and Anya’s gym had become even more popular, leaving them pretty busy and Clarke was a very sought out artist. The blonde didn’t end up attending nursing school but she had pursued a degree in Art Therapy.

              Anya laughed lightly. “I can’t believe you two actually wrote a graphic novel. Such nerds. When’s the release date?”

              “A month from now,” Lexa replied.

              “I can’t wait to buy a copy.” Anya stood up and looked down at her best friend. “Is your mini freak out over?”

              “No, but I know you have plans with Raven,” Lexa said. “I’ll text you later once I’ve done it.”

              “She’ll say yes and she’ll love however you do it because it’s you,” Anya said before making her way to the door.

              “Thanks, Anya,” Lexa said as she pushed the ring box under the cushion of the couch, where she had been hiding it for the past month.

              “Anytime.” Anya pulled the door open and smiled when she saw Clarke about to open the door. “Hey.”

              “Hey, Anya,” Clarke greeted her. “You’re leaving?”

              “Yeah, I have plans with Raven. I was just stopping by. I’ll see you later this week, though, at the Woods’ place.” She glanced behind her at Lexa. “See you at work,” she said before leaving.

              “Later, Anya,” Clarke said before closing the door. She made her way over to Lexa and kissed her hard on the lips. “Do you want to see it?”

              “Of course I want to see it,” Lexa smiled. Clarke reached into her purse and pulled out a book, handing it over to Lexa. She watched as Lexa looked it over, flipping through the pages and smiling happily. “We wrote a graphic novel.”

              “We did,” Clarke smiled as she placed her purse down on the coffee table. “Crazy, right?”

              Lexa ran her hand over the cover that Clarke had insisted she create. “Yeah, pretty crazy.” The novel ended on a cliffhanger and the two had already started working on the second. She looked up at Clarke and smiled. “Think it’ll do well?”

              “I’m pretty confident that it will.” Clarke had posted the first few pages of their comic on her Instagram page and it had garnered more attention than what they had been expecting. “I have two hours before I head to my mom’s to get some painting done. I know we’ve both been pretty busy this last month. Me, mostly. So I think a check-in is in order.”

              Lexa and Clarke had come up with check-ins after they realized that they had both pushed their relationship aside to focus on work. Whenever someone said they wanted to “check-in” it meant that they would spend some time talking and catching each other up on things that they might’ve not mentioned over the last few weeks or days. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

              The two headed to their bedroom and kicked off their shoes before getting onto the bed to cuddle. Clarke rested her head on Lexa’s shoulder and slid her hand up Lexa’s shirt to caress her stomach. “How’s everything with Grounders?”

              “Pretty great. There’s this kid, Aden, that I’ve started to personally train in martial arts and he seems pretty promising. Other than that there’s nothing new going on. How about you? How’s the art world treating you?”

              “Not bad at all,” Clarke replied. “I mentioned Dante Wallace to you, right?”

              Lexa racked her brain for a moment before the name clicked. “The asshole artist who was at Aunt Perry’s gallery two weeks ago?”

              “Yeah, that’s the one,” Clarke confirmed. “He liked my paintings and wants to meet up to talk about an art-related project. I’m a little nervous about it.”

              “Because he’s an asshole?”

              “A talented asshole,” Clarke corrected. “I’ll have lunch with him to get a better feel of his personality and if he’s truly a jerk, then I’ll have to pass on working with him.” Clarke’s hand trailed higher up Lexa’s shirt. “Perry says he’s not so bad once you get past his arrogance. She said working with someone renowned in the art world will be good for me. Oh, and before I forget, I’m volunteering at the hospital to do some art with the children there. Do you think you’d want to come? It’s tomorrow before the barbeque at your parents’ place.”

              Clarke really did stay busy almost all the time but Lexa loved seeing her in her element and happy. It was a huge change from when they had first started dating. Clarke stopped having nightmares and even when she was stressed, she never got to the point where she was mentally exhausted.

              “Yeah, I can join you,” Lexa confirmed.

              Clarke kissed Lexa on the cheek. “Thank you. Are you busy tonight? We should go on a date.”

              “I’m all yours tonight and a date would be perfect.” Lexa thought about the ring under the couch. “I’ll plan it.” Lexa felt Clarke’s fingers moving right underneath her breast. “You’re being distracting.”

              “Sorry,” Clarke grinned, not stopping her actions.

              “No you’re not,” Lexa said as she felt herself becoming turned on.

              Clarke pulled her hand away and in one swift motion, she was straddling her girlfriend. “Yeah, you’re right.” She pulled Lexa’s shirt up and the brunette allowed her to take it off.

              “I’m thinking of getting a new tattoo,” Lexa said as Clarke devoured her with her eyes.

              “Where?” Clarke asked. “And of what?”

              “Not sure where yet and I only have an idea of what I want,” Lexa answered. “I want it to be related to _The Grounders_.”

              Clarke smiled at hearing that Lexa wanted her next tattoo to symbolize their graphic novel. “I could sketch a few ideas for you. Can I pick the place?”

              “Sure,” Lexa said, replied as she tugged on the bottom of Clarke’s shirt.

              The artist got the hint and pulled her shirt over her head before tossing it aside. Clarke bent down and pressed kisses up the brunette’s side. “Maybe you could get it here.” She then tugged Lexa’s sweatpants down a bit and kissed her hip. “Or here.”

              “Clarke,” Lexa whined.

              Clarke bent down and kissed Lexa up her stomach and to her chest. “Bra.”

              Lexa sat up and removed her bra before undoing the clasps to Clarke’s. She watched as it slid down Clarke’s arms and the blonde dropped it onto the floor before running a hand through her hair. Lexa sat up and tried to turn them over but Clarke placed a hand on her chest and pushed her back down.

              Clarke smirked and bent down to take Lexa’s nipples into her mouth, giving each of them equal attention before trailing kisses down Lexa’s stomach. She circled her tongue around Lexa’s belly button and winked up at her. “Off,” she tugged at the sweatpants before getting up from the bed to remove her jeans.

              Lexa quickly took her sweatpants and underwear off and waited impatiently for Clarke to rejoin her. Clarke crawled slowly up Lexa’s body until their bodies were aligned. Lexa let out a breath as Clarke’s thigh pressed between her legs.

              Clarke rocked against Lexa, watching the brunette’s facial expressions as she pleasured her in awe of how beautiful her girlfriend was when she gave herself up to her like this. Clarke kissed and sucked at Lexa’s neck and after a few minutes, she stopped rocking against her.

              Lexa bucked her hips up in protest and Clarke captured her lips for a kiss. She slid her hands down between them and slid two fingers into her girlfriend, pumping a few times before pulling out.

              “Damn it, Clarke,” Lexa moaned. “Stop teasing.”

              Clarke grinned and moved down so that she was between Lexa’s legs. She pushed the brunette’s legs apart and just went for it.

              Lexa let out a surprised cry of pleasure before all Clarke could hear from her girlfriend was erratic breathing. Clarke was used to Lexa’s quiet nature by now and had learned what Lexa liked and didn’t like at any given moment by how her body responded to her actions.

              Lexa tried to keep her hips from bucking into Clarke’s mouth but the blonde was just too good with her mouth and she could feel her orgasm working its way through her. “Clarke, I’m gonna come,” she gasped out. Lexa squeezed the bed sheet in her hands even tighter and her mouth fell open as she grew closer to release.

              Clarke pulled away from Lexa’s clit and pushed her tongue into her, pushing in and out a few times before sitting up with a wicked grin playing on her lips.

              “Clarke,” Lexa growled out as her orgasm evaded her.

              Clarke pushed Lexa down as the brunette tried to sit up. “Wait,” she ordered lightly as she moved up so that she was resting against Lexa’s toned stomach. “Watch.”  
              Lexa let out a shaky breath as Clarke rocked against her stomach, leaving proof of her arousal on her. “Shit,” she moaned, feeling like she could come just from watching Clarke use her body for her own pleasure. She reached her hand out and was only able to press her thumb against Clarke’s clit for a second before the blonde pulled her hand away. Clarke grinned mischievously and shook her head as she continued her movements. Lexa was going to snap and Clarke couldn’t wait. She reached between her own legs and pushed two fingers into herself as Lexa watched and then after a few seconds, she pushed those same two fingers into Lexa.

              Lexa let out a shaky breath and when she realized Clarke was going to pull out, she quickly reached down to grab her by the wrist so she couldn’t. “Stop teasing.”

              Clarke smirked. “Say please.” Lexa released Clarke’s wrist, refusing to beg, and missed the fingers immediately when the blonde pulled out of her. Clarke was about to taunt the brunette when she suddenly found herself on her back with Lexa on top of her.

              Lexa held Clarke’s hands down over her head as she kissed her passionately. Clarke moaned into the kiss and whimpered when Lexa nipped at her bottom lip. Lexa released Clarke’s hands and moved down to run her fingers through her girlfriend a few times before spreading her lips. She pressed her clit against Clarke’s and moaned lightly at the feeling. She was still so close and she knew Clarke had to be as well. She slid over the blonde slowly at first and once Clarke’s moaning and cursing increased, she began to go harder and faster.

              “Lexa!” Clarke dug her nails into the brunette’s lower back. “Fuck!” Her body stiffened just as Lexa’s did and the two toppled over the edge together.

              Lexa pressed her face into the crook of Clarke’s neck, breathing heavily, as she rode out her orgasm. Clarke soothed her hand over Lexa’s lower back where she had dug her nails and turned her head to press a kiss to the side of Lexa’s head.

              “That was fantastic,” Clarke breathed out.

              Lexa hummed her agreement before moving off of Clarke and closing her eyes. Clarke chuckled. “Are you going to sleep? Where’s that Lexa Woods’ stamina?”

              “Just a nap,” Lexa stated. “Take one with me.”

              Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back. I need to get my phone.” Clarke reluctantly got out of bed and headed into the living room to get her phone from her purse before going back to her room. She set her alarm for an hour before cuddling up to Lexa and closing her eyes.

             

 

 

              Clarke woke up before her alarm and found Lexa in bed texting on her phone. “Hey,” she greeted, tiredly.

              Lexa smiled and kissed Clarke’s forehead before returning to her conversation. “Can I drop you off at your mom’s place and then pick you up so we can go straight to our date?”

              “Sure,” Clarke replied. “What should I wear?”

              “Anything comfortable and warm,” Lexa replied. “And no, I’m not telling you where we’re going.”

              Clarke gestured to her phone. “Will you tell me who you’re texting on my phone, then?”  
              “No,” Lexa replied. She ended the conversation with said person and deleted their chat window before handing Clarke the phone.

              Clarke opened it and went to her text messages, rolling her eyes when she saw that Lexa had deleted the conversation. “I hate surprises.”

              “No you don’t,” Lexa grinned before getting out of bed to pull her clothes on. “Get dressed. I’ll make us some coffee before we leave.”

              Once Lexa walked out of the room, Clarke let out a content sigh before looking over at the bottom drawer of their dresser. She quickly got dressed and pulled open the drawer, digging through the back of it before finding the ring box she was looking for. She made her way out into the living room and quickly deposited the box into her purse before joining Lexa in the kitchen. She had wanted to pop the question for two weeks now but was always too nervous that it wasn’t the perfect time. Her friends had told her to just ask but Clarke wanted the moment to be perfect and that moment hadn’t presented itself yet.

              _Soon._ Clarke thought. She would ask soon.

 

 

 

              Later that night, Lexa picked Clarke up from her mother’s house and was nearing their date location when Clarke began to realize where they were going.

              “We’re going to the dock?” Clarke asked, excitedly. “You borrowed Luna’s boat? Is that who you were texting on my phone before?”

              Lexa let out a light laugh. “So much for surprises. They hadn’t been out here since their first date and she hadn’t expected the blonde to remember the area. Clarke kissed Lexa on the cheek and happily made her way over to the familiar boat. Lexa simply smiled to herself before going to get the picnic basket hidden in the trunk.

              Once they were settled on the boat, Lexa and Clarke began to talk about anything that came to mind as they cuddled beside each other.

              “How about a tattoo of Commander Lexa’s warpaint?” Clarke asked.

              “That would be cool,” Lexa said. “Where would it go?”

              “On your leg,” Clarke replied. “But that’s just one idea. I can think of some more. I’ll even draw a few on you first so you can see whether or not you like them. We’ll spend a day next week just figuring out your new tattoo,” she promised.

              Lexa smiled and laced their fingers together. “Have I ever told you how perfect you are for me?”

              Clarke leaned over to kiss Lexa. “Once or twice.” Clarke stuck her left hand into her jacket pocket and wrapped her fingers around the jewelry box that had been resting in it ever since she left her mother’s house. She wasn’t sure how to go about asking. She should just ask? Should there be a speech beforehand? Some sort of build up before the moment of truth.

              Lexa could feel her engagement ring burning a hole in her pocket and she suddenly became nervous. “Clarke,” she began.

              “Hm?” Clarke hummed.

              “You really are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Lexa began. “I love everything about you.”

              Clarke laughed lightly. “Like when I lose track of time because I’m so into painting? I know how much you love that.”

              Lexa grinned. “Painting makes you happy and I love seeing you happy,” she said, sincerely.

              Clarke’s heart skipped a beat as her hold on the box tightened. “I love everything about you, too, Lexa. You’re incredibly patient with me… and understanding. I don’t think anyone could ever make me feel as loved as you do. It’s a great feeling to be with someone who I don’t have to explain myself to constantly because you get me. I love you, Lexa.” Clarke sat up as she pulled the box out of her pocket. “And it would be really amazing if you would do me the honor of being my wife.” She opened the box and Lexa’s eyes widened. When the brunette didn’t say anything right away, Clarke began to panic. “Lexa, say something. You’re making me nervous here.”

              “You just hijacked my proposal, Clarke,” Lexa whined. 

              Clarke frowned. “What?”

              Lexa pulled the ring out of her pocket and held it up for Clarke to see. “I was going to propose.”

              Clarke laughed and kissed Lexa before taking the ring. “Lexa this is gorgeous.” She slipped the ring on and admired the breathtaking design. It was white gold with small diamonds surrounding the diamond in the center. There was even a twist of white gold winding around the center that made the ring even more beautiful. “I love it.” She looked up and kissed the still pouting brunette. “I love you.”

              “Clarke, you can’t just take the ring and put it on. I haven’t asked yet,” Lexa huffed.

              Clarke pulled the ring she had bought out of its box and slipped it on Lexa’s finger. “I can’t believe we’re in engaged!” She said, excitedly.

              “We’re not,” Lexa pointed out. “No one has said yes.” She looked at the ring and smiled at how perfectly it fit her personality. The band was also white gold but there was no big diamond in the center. Just a line of diamonds embedded down the center of the band. Simple yet gorgeous. “This is perfect, Clarke.”

              The blonde smiled. “Anya, Raven and O helped me pick it out.”

              Lexa laughed lightly. “Raven and Octavia helped me pick out yours and Anya has known I’ve been stressing over proposing for a month now.”

              “A month?” Clarke was surprised. “What took you so long?”

              “I wanted it to be just right,” Lexa answered. “You deserve the best. How long have you been waiting to ask?”

              Clarke smiled and kissed the brunette. “Two weeks. I wanted it to be perfect, too.” She looked down at her ring and beamed before looking back at Lexa. “We’re engaged!”

              “Technically, we’re not because no one has-,”

              “Yes, I’ll marry you,” Clarke said before pulling Lexa into a kiss. “Think Luna will be mad if we have sex on her boat?”

              “Shit,” Lexa breathed out, suddenly very turned on. “She doesn’t have to know,” she said before pulling Clarke back to her for a kiss.

 

 

 

 

              Lexa walked into her parents’ backyard holding Clarke’s hand with their friends trailing behind them. Once they arrived in the backyard they saw that Abby, Perry and Luna had already arrived.

              Clarke bounced excitedly on her feet as she looked to Lexa. Lexa smiled big. “You can’t wait, can you?” Clarke shook her head and so Lexa released her hand. “Go ahead.”

              Clarke approached everyone and held up her right hand, wiggling her fingers. “I’m engaged!”

              Abby’s eyes widened and she got up to hug her daughter. “Congratulations, sweetie!” She looked at the ring. “It’s gorgeous. When did this happen?”

              “Last night,” Clarke replied.

              Amelia and Luna got up to give Clarke a hug before also admiring the ring. Gustus looked over at his daughter. “Too you long enough. I was expecting this to happen for years now.”

              Clarke glanced behind her at the man. “I proposed first. She was dragging her feet.”

              Lexa huffed. “I was going to do it. You just beat me by a few seconds.”

              Gustus looked down at Lexa’s hand and saw the engagement band. “I’m just glad you’re one step closer to marriage. I need grandchildren before I get too old to keep up with them.”

              Lexa rolled her eyes. “Can we make it through our engagement before you start bringing up children?”

              Gustus held up his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right. Come on, bring it in. I’m happy for you.” He held open his arms for a hug.

              Lexa hugged her father. “Thanks, Dad.”

              Gustus hugged Clarke next. “You two should think of a beach wedding so I don’t have to wear a suit.”

              “Gustus,” Amelia sighed.

              “Just throwing it out there,” Gustus said as he moved to sit back down.

              “A beach wedding actually does sound nice,” Abby said before going to hug Lexa. “That ring signifies a big commitment,” she said to Lexa.

              “Yes, ma’am, I know,” Lexa said. “I’m ready for it.” She froze as a thought hit her. “Should I have asked you first?”

              Abby sighed. “It would have been nice.”

              “I’m sorry,” Lexa said, worried that she had managed to piss Abby off. “We can do it over. We’ll get unengaged and I’ll ask.”

              Abby laughed. “Lexa, relax. I’m only teasing. I’m happy for you both. Just take care of my girl.”

              Lexa’s shoulders sagged in relief. “I absolutely will.”

              “Story time,” Anya said. “Who wants to hear about how freaked Lexa was this past month about proposing to Clarke?”

              “Let’s hear it,” Gustus said.

              “She couldn’t have been any worse than Clarke these last two weeks,” Raven said as she took a seat next to Anya.

              “I don’t know,” Lincoln said as he took a seat beside Octavia. “Lexa was pretty bad.”

              Octavia laughed. “We spent nearly a whole day looking at rings with Clarke. She was so picky.”

              As everyone sat down to talk about the two, Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke from behind and kissed her on the cheek. “Think they’ll stop making fun of us anytime soon?”

              “Probably not,” Clarke grinned, relaxing into Lexa’s arms. “I’m really happy.”

              Lexa rested her chin on Clarke’s shoulder. “I’m really happy, too.”

              Clarke looked down at her ring for the umpteenth time since last night. “This kind of feels like falling in love all over again.”

              Lexa placed both her hands in Clarke’s and laced their fingers together. “Yeah, it kind of does.”

             


End file.
